A Special Training
by Larania Drake
Summary: Once upon a time, Kamisama cried out for help. Once upon a time, a Moon Princess answered. And once upon a time, Piccolo fell in love. UxP
1. I

A Special Training

** **

Disclaimer: It does not belong to me, and I apologize for not being able to remember the actual names of the owners. No money made, no foul.

A/N: This will take place during the S series, which I am the most familiar with. Warning, folks, from here, it gets weird. As for DBZ, during the three years that it takes for the Trunks Saga to become the Androids and Cell Sagas.

Kami shivered with dread.

Even before the young man from the future, Trunks, had come, he had been sensing something awful. He had no real idea what it was, because it was so nebulous. It hadn't grown to its full potential yet. The Z fighters that survived the Androids would not be enough to face this. They needed help.

But where to find it?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi giggled, watching the antics of her future daughter. Chibi-Usa was chasing Luna, who had told her to do some homework.

The day had been long. There had been several youma attacks, and Usagi was worn out.

She missed Mamoru! He had been so busy recently.

Her thoughts dipped into melancholy, thinking about how he was always rescuing her, never really the other way around. Even when she saved him from Beryl, he had still died! All her Senshi had died!

Looking at Chibi-Usa, she suddenly saw Mamoru come up and hug the little girl.

He had come to see their daughter, but not her; the thought struck her. Rather than make her angry or sad, she just felt resigned.

_I'm the means to an end,_ she thought, painfully. _He may have liked me, but we probably wouldn't have gotten married. It's because of his daughter that he sticks around._

_I wish they needed me._

__That was the part that got to her the worst. Sure, she could cheer them up, but they had Mina for that. That was about all she was needed for. No fighting skill, no brains, wisdom, or anything. She was dead weight. The only thing she ever seemed to contribute was the crystal, and then Chibi-Usa could do that.

A convenient means to an end.

They didn't need her now that they had Chibi-Usa. Everyone seemed to like her better, even Mamoru. 

"I wish that I could do something for people that really, truly needed me. I wish that I had something worth needing…" Usagi mumbled, and wanted to cry, but then Rei would just call her a baby.

Maybe they were right.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kami-sama walked cautiously into the Room of Spirit and Time. Even though he was this room's master, he sometimes wondered…

Another time, perhaps. 

Here, he called all the magics available to him, and simply made a plea.

"I need help, myself, and the world in my care. I can't let it die, and the defenders may not live long enough to save it either. This great evil is coming, and we _need help!_"

So, the call went out, asking, pleading to those that could hear it…

To bad Kami didn't put more a restriction on who was asked…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi sighed, and looked at the warm, soft bed with pick comforter that was decorated with bunnies. Chibi-Usa was already in it, and sound asleep.

_Please,_ whispered a voice, silently, but urgently, inside her mind.

"What?" Usagi yelped, then slapped her hands over her mouth. She didn't want to wake up Chibi-Usa.

_Please,_ the voice continued, and images of a world destroyed flowed along with it. _Please, my world is in danger, and I don't know if its defenders can survive…_

_Hold on a minute!_ Usagi tried to think back at it. _What happened?_

_A great evil is upon us, one worse than what we are preparing for, and that one could destroy us all… I must defend my world; **we need help!**_

__Wondering about her own judgment, Usagi said, _I don't know how much I can, but I will help you._

_Thank you,_ answered the voice, sounding more like a tired old man, when she thought about it, than a mighty defender. Maybe she could actually do some good…

To be continued…


	2. II

A Special Training II

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z do not belong to me, never have, and unless some crazed celestial event occurs, causing the universe as we know it to cease to function, I never will and not get paid for it.

A/N: I have gotten several reviews saying that they want this to be a Trunks/Usagi romance. Uh, I can't spoil the surprise, now, can I? Let's see if you can guess…

Usagi watched with trepidation as the silver imperium crystal lit, granting her wish to go to the one who asked for her help…

It seemed to open up like a flower, the crystal petals falling away from each other gracefully, and as Usagi looking into it, she felt like she was being pulled into …

"AHHHH!" she screamed, looking over the edge of… The edge of…

It was a really long way down, part of her noted, while she shook from fear.

"Excuse me, may I help you?" said a pleasantly accented voice from behind her. Still jumpy, Usagi sprang about three feet into the air, and spun.

The person behind her was all black, with no nose, and wearing an interesting outfit.

"Uh- Yeah, see, well, um- I-" she stuttered, trying to get her words out.

"Did you ask for help?" she finally managed to get out, in a rush. 

The black, strange looking little man, with a tooth sticking out, shook his head.

"Mr. Popo does not remember asking for help from a pretty young girl. I will go ask Kami if he can answer your question."

At that, the little man walked away, and Usagi hurried away from the edge of the long, long, _long_ drop.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kami sat on his throne, eyes closed, deep in thought.

His throne was surrounded by peaceful shadows, contrasting to the brilliant, constant sunlight of the Lookout. 

_I was answered. Yet, the voice sounded young. Will this person be able to actually help us?  
_He hadn't really thought his plea would be answered.

"Kami-sama!" said an urgent voice, that of Mr. Popo, his gardener.

"Yes, Mr. Popo?" Kami-sama asked, not paying much attention.

"There is a pretty young girl apparently lost on the Lookout, asking if we need some help."

Kami had been thinking about something else, until the latter part of what Mr. Popo said hit him.

"A girl, you said? Where is she?"

"Yes, Kami."

"Take me to her!"

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Usagi had taken to looking at the lovely flowers of the Lookout, appreciating how beautiful it was, as long as you didn't look over the side.

She heard two sets of footsteps, and turned to see the black man, back with a green man, who wore a long, white robe with a kanji on his chest that said 'Kami". 

"Uh, I guess you are Kami," she said uncertainly, seeing how strange the green looking man was. 

_Well, no one said that person asking for help was human, right?_

__He looked so old! She wondered if he would blow away with a gust of wind.

"Someone was asking for help, and I heard them," Usagi began, fidgeting at the old man's gaze. He could look through you like Queen Serenity could!

"Yes, well, when I asked for help, I was hoping for someone, well, a bit uh- older," Kami told her, and Usagi felt her eyes well up. 

"YOU'RE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE WHO THINKS I CAN'T DO ANYTHING! WAHHH!" she screamed, and sobbed.

Kami sweat dropped.

"Well, yes, Miss, I appreciate that you came all this way, but I don't think this is something a little girl should be doing…"

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"What the hell?" Piccolo said, turning at the last minute, and Gohan's punch breezed by his face.

"Grr," Gohan responded, annoyed.

"Do you sense that?" he asked, turning to the power source he suddenly felt.

It was beyond strange, he thought. This power was bizarre, it felt like-

It reminded him of Gohan's; but only because of the innocence and purity that came from it. It was like touching light itself.

He opened eyes that he hadn't realized were closed, to see that Gohan was looking at him strangely, but his head was tilted to the side, like he was trying to hear something.

"I kinda feel it. It isn't like yours or mine, though. It seems-"

"Like listening to a pure tone, or seeing sunlight through ice," Piccolo whispered softly, not knowing where the poetic turn of phrase came from.

Gohan only nodded. To him, it made perfect sense in describing this new power.

"Can you tell where it's coming from?" asked Gohan, trying to figure out where this huge power was.

"I think-" Piccolo started, and took off.

Gohan shouted for his mentor to wait up.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi was still ranting, and both she and Kami were getting so caught up in the yelling that they didn't notice the aura that was surrounding her, or that they now had other visitors.

"Hello," said Mr. Popo. "I'm afraid Kami is a little busy right now, but if you leave your name and number, I'm sure he will get back to-"

"Popo, what's with the answering machine imitation?" asked Piccolo, who kept his eyes on the ticked off girl with weird hair.

"I was hoping that it would help keep some of the workload off of Kami. The girl was the response to a cry for help that Kami made."

"A cry for help?" 

"Kami, why would you ask for help from a little girl?" Piccolo asked the green guardian of the Earth.

"I am NOT JUST a GIRL! I-" Usagi cut off, scowling. "I wanted to help," she said more quietly.

Piccolo stared at her. Was it his imagination, or what that huge power coming from her?

And when did humans wear their hair so strangely?

"Kami, did you know a huge power is coming from this girl?" he asked Kami.

Kami did a double take, looking at the girl again. A crescent moon had appeared on her forehead, and it was glowing. Her aura shown silver. Power wise, she had a great deal of potential. Lots and lots of potential.

"You're right," Kami told Piccolo, surprised. 

"WILL YOU ALL STOP TALKING ABOUT ME?" She shouted at the two green figures.

They turned to glare back at her, and Usagi shrank back. 

"Heheh- I mean, I really don't like it when people talk like I'm not there… Uh, my name is Usagi," she introduced herself, and put out her hand.

Piccolo and Kami stared at her in surprise for a moment.

"I am the Kami-sama of this planet, child," Kami told her, and reached over to shake her hand.

"This rude Namek," Kami added," is Piccolo."

Piccolo was giving Usagi one of his usual cold glares, arms crossed, trying to look unimpressed with her powers.

It worked, because Usagi backed up off the Lookout.

"AHHHHHH!" she shrieked.

It was then that Gohan decided to show up. Of course, he approached from the _other_ side of the Sanctuary.

"Kami?" he asked," what was that screaming I heard?"

To be continued.


	3. III

A Special Training III

** **

Disclaimer: It belongs to someone else, not me, and I have not made any money yet, and doubt that I ever will. If you want to pay me, I wouldn't be writing fan fiction.

A/N: Yes, this story will have Usagi start out as a ditz. She is one, folks. That doesn't mean she will stay one. That is what a good part of this story will be about. I'm no good at writing a straight romance. Yes, there will be a romance, and I believe it was Athena who figured it out. Athena, you know who you are, virtual kudos, and good guess work.

Usagi let out a blood-curdling scream as she fell from the Sanctuary. At first, Kami and Piccolo were stunned immobile, because someone with that much potential should have been flying with great ease. 

This being _not_ the case, Piccolo reacted, and dived off the edge, grabbing her wrist and swinging her up into his arms.

A mistake; Usagi screamed into his ear at that moment. He almost dropped her.

"Will you shut up?" he growled, his deep, menacing voice vibrating his chest.

Biting her lip, she complied.

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Usagi was shaking by the time she was placed gently on her feet. Still, she stiffened her spine, reminding herself that she was here to help. 

_I will not cry, I will not cry, Rei says that I am a crybaby, and I am _not!

"I heard someone say they needed help; that his world was in danger. I am one of the warriors of my world-" here, Gohan let out a chuckle. Her power level had gone down again, and she was about as powerful as Bulma.

Usagi glared at him, and again stopped herself, trying to make herself think.

_You always act before you think, Odango Atama._

__Well, this time would be different.

"You are a warrior?" Piccolo said skeptically.

Usagi raised her chin proudly, and nodded. 

"Fight me," he said, and went into a casual stance.

Usagi gulped, and reached for her henshin broach.

Noticing what she was doing, and thinking she was starting to attack, struck her hand before she got a chance to use the broach.

Yelping in pain, and seeing the broach with the crystal inside it skitter away; Usagi wondered what she would do now. Then a blow came at her for her head, and she was forced to fight without her magic.

Her arms came up, and she blocked. A kick to the side, she blocked with her shin, and then she dived for her broach again.

"Moon Cosmic Power, MAKE-UP!"

Then Sailor Moon was crouched before them, with her scepter held defensively.

"That- was your power?" Piccolo gawked at her, and snickered. The snickers became chuckles, which turned into full-fledged guffaws.

"I-" Usagi said hopelessly, and almost started to cry. Only, instead, she got angry. Here she was, trying to HELP these people, and they- they were laughing at her.

Piccolo kept on laughing, but Gohan saw what the others didn't. This young girl, when her temper rose, started to glow silver, and her tiara disappeared, leaving a crescent of gold on her forehead. It started to flicker, as well.

Temper making her do things she normally wouldn't, Sailor Moon went over to the laughing Namek, and punched him in the gut, and followed that with an uppercut to the chin.

This knocked him back several feet, and gave him a bloody nose.

All the laughter died away, and they stared at the girl in front of them. Sailor Moon's temper rapidly cooled, and she was dumbfounded by what she had done.

So was everyone else. Sure, Gohan had hit Piccolo before, but he had never managed to do something quite like _that_. 

"You are right, Piccolo," Kami admitted, grudgingly. "She is powerful, she just lacks training. Would you train her?"

Usagi hadn't agreed to any of this but-

_I did volunteer to help them. If I did that, then I have to do whatever they ask of me._

__This didn't stop her from swallowing nervously. _What have I gotten myself into?_

__"Who said I was going to train anybody, old man," Piccolo snarled, still rubbing his face. "No one asked me."

"You are the obvious choice," said Kami, humor coloring his voice. 

Piccolo sneered, but he new he would give in. If this slip of a girl could be trained, she would be very valuable when the Androids showed up. Also, if Kami was asking for help… Something big was coming. Especially if Piccolo couldn't sense it.

Grabbing the girl before she had time to protest, he flew off the Lookout, and onto an island back on Earth.

"EEP!" 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I told you not to yell!" Piccolo shouted, as Usagi screamed at their departure.

"Well, you surprised me!"

Piccolo hmph'd, and dropped her to the ground. Then he grabbed her broach.

"You have power without this little toy. I can tell it has great power, but you have more, and you are too dependent on it. For six months, you will live here. That is the first part of your training. Seeing if you can survive."

Sailor Moon became Usagi after he had snatched the broach away, and he pointed at her. Her clothing became heavy, black and brown training gi, with armbands, _very _heavy boots, and sword.

"You're leaving me here for _six months?" _she asked, and winced.

"If you can survive, you will be worthy of training," he told her. He left out that he would be watching her very closely. He wouldn't just let her die, but he needed to see how tough she was.

_Remember, remember you volunteered! _

__Gulping, and feeling like she was about to faint, Usagi nodded.

She watched as Piccolo flew off, and she wondered if she would be able to move.

To be continued.


	4. IV

A Special Training IV

** **

Disclaimer: The series mentioned in this fic belong to their respective owners, and no offense if meant to them, and I make no money from this.

It had been three weeks since Usagi had been left on the small, isolated island.

Usagi, no matter what her friends may have believed, was not stupid. In fact, in her way, she was rather smart. She just lacked discipline.

So, she had gotten her priorities straight. She tried to find shelter, and ended up staying in a rather high cave, up on a wall of a canyon overlooking the sea. Since no one was there to help her, so she thought, there was no use whining and complaining. 

"I never really thought about it," she said to herself. "I got so used to being the one that complained."

She had not much trouble finding edibles. It was berry season, and other fruits were becoming ripe as well. And, although it was gross at first, she had been able to catch fish.

Usagi had come across the stream, where many tiny fish would be facing upstream, resting against the rocks in the swift rushing water. She was getting hungry for meat, then, and so her usual gag reflex was not working.

Staring at the small, and medium fish, she realized she couldn't get them with a hook. But they were right in front of her…

Her hand darted in the water, and she missed, scattering the small little buggers.

Not realizing she was starting to growl, her hand flashed into the water, and so she went, for the next several days.

Eventually she was successful. In fact, she was so successful that she became sick of fish.

Then came roots, nuts and berries. Okay, anything about eye level and looked like fruit was easy. 

She figured out the roots by accident. There were several game trails throughout the island, and she was following one, to see what was on the other side of the island. This was her fifth day. 

A large boar was digging at something, and Usagi got curious as to what it was. As silently as she could, she walked up behind it.

Of course, as it was only her fifth day of training, she wasn't very silent.

"AHHH- waaaaaaahhHHHHH!" she screamed, as the boar turned and saw her.

She ran as fast as she could, and, of course, tripped.

The boar nearly trampled her, but she managed to dodge at the last minute. Jumping to her feet, she unsheathed her sword awkwardly, and stabbed it through its head.

"I just killed something…" she said faintly, but sobered. It would have tried to kill her. In fact, it nearly it.

"Plus, pork it pretty good eating," she said aloud, and pulled her sword free, wiping it on the porker's hide, and gagged.

"I will not puke, I will not puke," she repeated to herself, over and over, and dragged it back to her camp, also taking note of where she had found it.

Later, she went back, and tried the roots. They tasted pretty good.

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"She's doing better than I thought she would," Piccolo reported. Goku nodded, not letting himself get distracted by what Piccolo was saying. He and Piccolo were sparring, getting ready for the ever approaching Android threat.

_And whatever has Kami's underwear in a bunch,_ Piccolo thought, worried.

"She did nearly get eaten a couple of times when she was asleep," Gohan pointed out, as he had decided to help with "Usagi duty," as they had termed it.

"The first time I scared it off," Piccolo told him. "The second, I made enough noise for her to wake up, and she fought it off herself. It hasn't happened since."

This distracted Piccolo enough that Goku got a hit in, but it barely fazed him.

"In a few more months, we can start the real training," Goku said enthusiastically. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi stripped methodically, unconscious of her nudity, and looked at her reflection in a still pool.

It was one of the few baths she had taken, and yes, she stank to high heaven.

What was the worst was her hair.

The once glorious fall of sunlit gold was a tangled, dirty, ratty mess, and you couldn't see the original color. It was getting to be more of a hassle than it was worth.

"So, I guess I have no choice, now, right?" she sighed, and tried to resign herself.

Taking out her constant companion, her sword, which she had nicknamed Luna, she hacked away at the muddy locks, and it fell in ragged piles at her feet. It was all she could do to restrain her tears.

One of the few things she had ever really, really been vain about was her hair. It had had to be long, because it was the only way she could wear the royal hairstyle.

Still, she managed a chuckle. What would her friends think of her now?

Wading into the water, she submerged, and seemed to wash away her old life, and was reborn into this stranger new one.

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Six months.

She couldn't believe that six months were already over. 

Usagi really didn't know if she wanted to leave this island that had been her home for so long. She had gotten used to the silence.

She had always been a person who had to be around people. People were how she defined herself. She had never been alone with her own thoughts for so long…

It would be around sunrise when Piccolo came for her, and she wondered what would come. She hadn't really asked who the enemy was, only knew that it could destroy this world. Usagi had guessed how strong these people must actually be, especially if they could fly. 

Usagi had come to know herself in ways that she wouldn't have guessed earlier. She felt more at peace with herself, and she looked down, unsheathing her sword.

Luna, as she had named it, seemed to hum sweetly as she came free of her sheath, and Usagi took a few practice swings. The sword itself was very worn now, because she had learned how to sharpen it, and it had taken her a while to figure it out, so there were nicks all over it. 

"I'll never be a fencer, but at least I can hack decently."

The sun was already set, and she walked along the beach, growling at any animal that could hurt her. They had taken the hint several months ago, and had stopped trying to hunt her.

Her friends would never have recognized her. Her skin had darkened to a nut brown, her hair was hacked off at the base of her neck raggedly, and scratches and abrasions marked her hands and face. 

She hadn't lost any weight, in fact, she had gained a lot of muscle, and she was about five inches taller. Her clothes were rags. Oddly enough, she was more content than she had ever been.

A sweet wind blew off the ocean, and Usagi listened to the waves crash, watched the birds find their nests for the night, and knew that she could never let this world fall to whatever would destroy it. It was too beautiful. It was worth fighting for.

It was worth dying for.

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Piccolo flew out that morning to find her, and was pleased by what had come of this survival training. 

She was sitting on one of the cliffs of the island, her eyes closed, in a general attitude of mediation. 

He didn't make any sound, but she was facing him before he actually came into view.

"Hello, Piccolo. How have you been?"

Not quite what he expected.

"Fine. I see you survived. First, I will teach you how to fly, so you can come with me. I'm not carrying you any more."

"All right."

Then he threw her off the cliff.

No scream, and silver light flashed around her, and she was hovering above the rocks below, her eyes clamped shut, and her teeth clenched. Piccolo got the impression that she was doing her best not to freak out.

"You can open your eyes now, you aren't dead."

"I- what? I'm, I'm flying?" she gasped, shocked. She looked up at Piccolo, eyes full of wonder.

At that moment, their met, and Piccolo felt a strange twitch in his heart. 

Shaking it off as indigestion, (although how he could get indigestion is anyone's guess) he turned back to the delighted Usagi, who was doing figure eights. He couldn't help put smile.

Usagi saw the smile, and grinned back.

_Even if he does have fangs, he is a lot nicer than he lets on,_ she thought, and followed him back to the mainland.

To be continued.


	5. V

A Special Training V

** **

Disclaimer: DBZ and Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon do not belong to me. I make no money from this, at all.

"So, where are we going to be training?" Usagi asked Piccolo, as she flew beside him.

It was one of her first acts of ki manipulation, so she was flying rather slowly, and Piccolo was letting her set the pace.

"We are going to the Black Forest. The warriors I am training with are there."

"Yeah? Are they cute?" Usagi couldn't help but ask. It was more to see Piccolo's reaction than actual interest.

No one had ever asked him that question before, so he sweat dropped. He sweat dropped rather well, by any standards.

"Uh, one was my other student, and his father."

"Oh, wrong ages then."

This was fun! She thought. This guy takes himself way, way too seriously.

She grinned, catlike, at what she could do to this guy…

"So, who is the enemy?" she asked, knowing that getting to business would be important. "And by the way, what are you?"

"I am a Namek," he explained. 

"Okay- that doesn't tell me much," she suggested, not the least intimidated. 

He went on to tell her about his past, and what he was doing on earth. This story took a while, and they arrived at the Sons before they were finished.

"So, this is where your student lives?" Usagi asked, and took in the modest house. It was cozy, she thought. 

"HEY! It's Mr. Piccolo!" a voice from inside shouted, and a little boy, younger than Chibi-Usa ran out to glomp Piccolo on the leg.

"Hey, Piccolo," said another voice, belonging to an older man. The owner of the voice came outside, a little more restrained than his son about welcomes.

Then a lady came out. Her hair was in a bun, and she had a warm, mother's smile.

"You must be Usagi," said the boy, and he put out his hand. "I'm Son Gohan, this is my dad, Goku, and my mom, Chi-Chi."

"Gracious," Chi-Chi said immediately after she had been introduced, as Gohan shook her hand up and down. "You look like you could use a bath." She glared at Piccolo. "You mean you left another child to fend for themselves in the wilderness? Why, you mean, wicked-"

"Ma'am? I volunteered for it!" Usagi interrupted, putting her hands up. "The food inside smells awesome, and I haven't had a home cooked meal in forever. Can I eat with you?"

Chi-Chi went from raging mother to collected hostess in a heartbeat. 

"Why, certainly, dear. I am so happy to have another girl around for a while, even if you are a fighter. The boys can get the table set while I get you a bath and some fresh clothes," she said last, giving her ragged, smelly clothes a disapproving look.

Usagi smiled, and nodded gratefully. She had missed hot water so much!

"Goku?" Chi-Chi said crisply.

"Yes, dear?" Goku said resignedly. 

"Go get the bathing barrel, Gohan, you start setting the table, and Piccolo, fetch water and fire wood."

Piccolo looked rather surprised that he was being ordered as well. He was about to protest, when Chi-Chi glared at him.

He wondered at that moment what would have happened had she fought Frieza.

He went to get the water and wood.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi sighed in bliss as she sank into the steaming water. It soothed the aches of six months in the wilderness; an assortment of scrapes, slight sprains, bruises and general soreness.

Someone came up from behind her and started washing her hair.

"You know, you must have had beautiful hair before this happened," Chi-Chi told her, sounding motherly.

Usagi didn't answer, just enjoyed having someone's hands massaging her scalp. 

"I'll cut it this evening, to make it even."

"Thank you, Chi-Chi-san," Usagi answered, and grinned.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The boys were sitting around the table, waiting on the ladies.

"How long does it take to get a bath, anyway?" whined Goku, who was really, really hungry. 

No one answered him, and Piccolo wondered what was the major difference between males and females: clothing, or how much they ate.

They heard footsteps, and turned.

Chi-Chi was grinning madly, happy at her handiwork.

Usagi was standing in front of her, her hair neatly trimmed around her ears, wearing one of Chi-Chi's dresses, looking very, very nice.

The boys just stared.

"Okay, I'll go get the food," Chi-Chi said, pleased with their response.

"I'll help," Usagi told her, but Chi-Chi shook her head. 

"Dear, you are a guest. Gohan, would you mind helping me?"

"Okay Mom," Gohan muttered, and followed his mother into the kitchen.

Usagi giggled; she couldn't help it. Gohan sounded just like she did when asked to help.

Turning back to her hosts, she found Goku staring at her. She found herself grinning back. He reminded her of a favorite brother.

"So, Usagi, where are you from? Are you really here to help us fight the Androids? That's great! I can sense great power in you. You seem really nice; do you have any family? Are you from the future too? Are you part Saiya-jin? Are you-"

"Goku," interrupted Piccolo, sternly, eyes narrowed.

Usagi's eyebrows nearly hit her hairline at all the questions from the open-faced man. 

"I'm from Tokyo, Juuban district, and yeah, I am here to help you fight your enemy, but I didn't know they were Androids. What's a Saiya-jin?" she asked.

"Oh, you don't know what a Saiya-jin is? That's what Vegeta and I are. We're the only two left; at least we think so. My son is half-Saiya-jin. There is another from the future-"

Piccolo stopped this line of thought by a cuff to the head.

"Really, from the future?" Usagi asked, intrigued. This sounded really familiar.

Goku was about to go on, when Piccolo gave him a death glare.

"There are things about the future we are allowed to tell," Piccolo said, keeping his gaze on the chagrined Goku. He lowered his eyes with a muttered, "I'm sorry."

"Oh, I know all about not letting people know about the future," Usagi said brightly, trying to cheer him back up.

It did. The large warrior's eyes lit up like at Christmas.

"Really? Wow! How?"

"I guess I need to tell you about where I come from…" Usagi started, and her eyes became lost in memory.

"I don't think this is the same world I came from. Oh, well, um," this received startled looked from Piccolo and Goku.

"See, a thousand years ago, in my world, there was a magnificent kingdom on the moon…"

There had lots of banging of pots and pans in the kitchen when she started her story, but after a while there was dead silence.

By the time she had finished up with her mother's defeat of Beryl, she turned to see both Chi-Chi and Gohan staring at her in awe, wonder in their eyes.

"So, was the Moon Princess and her Prince reborn?" Gohan asked, and Chi-Chi said at the same time," That is so romantic."

Usagi nodded, to both statements.

Chi-Chi then remembered to serve dinner, and Usagi started eating as fast as she usually did.

Everyone stared, except for Goku, who was trying to beat Usagi at eating.

"Are you sure you aren't a saiya-jin?" Piccolo asked, bemused.

"Yeah. Why?" Usagi asked, her mouth full.

"Why aren't you eating?" she asked Piccolo, noting that he didn't even have a plate.

"Nameks don't need to eat like humans. All we need is water."

Swallowing, she asked," Don't you have a sense of taste?"

"Yes, but we don't use it much."

"Um, Usagi?" Gohan asked, after cleaning his plate. "What did that story you told have to do with you? I mean, it was a nice tale, but you never said what you have to do with it."

Usagi smiled sadly. 

"I am the Moon Princess reborn."

Everyone around the table face vaulted.

"So, why aren't you with your Prince?" asked Chi-Chi, hearts in her eyes.

Usagi blushed with shame, but everyone else thought it was because she was thinking of Mamoru. 

"Because they don't need me right now. I heard Kami ask for help, and decided to come. My future daughter can take care of things there while I'm away."

Goku and Gohan missed the bitterness in her voice, but Piccolo heard it. 

_She always seemed like such a happy person, almost like Goku,_ he mused. _Could the Princess maybe not having such a happy ending?_

"Future daughter?" Goku gaped. 

Usagi again nodded, and proceeded to tell them about how Chibi-Usa came into their lives, and how she had gone to the future to fight the Black Moon Family, and Wiseman.

"So, my future husband won't have any trouble protecting his daughter," she said with false brightness.

Piccolo was wondering what they had done to make such a kind person, who had crossed over from another world to help people she didn't know, so sad.

"Okay, now you guys tell me your story."

Goku began with how he had met Bulma, a friend who wasn't there, and their search for the seven dragon balls. This led into the tournament where Piccolo's father was killed, and him creating the current Piccolo. The story then went into how Chi-Chi had married him, and then how, on a day where they were supposed to be having a reunion, Goku found out about his alien heritage. 

This then went into how he had died- (Usagi jumped at that. She had enough experience with friends dying.) and his training, how Piccolo had kidnapped Gohan to train him (with a glare from Chi-Chi) and their battle with the Saiya-jins.

Gohan told about how the fight went before his father arrived, with his friends getting killed, and Piccolo sacrificing himself- (_I knew he was a nice guy!_ Usagi thought, hiding a triumphant smirk.) The battle with Vegeta, his defeat, and leaving for Namek.

The battle with Frieza took the rest of the evening, and Usagi held her breath when Goku described how he went Super Saiya-jin. Her eye were wide with amazement as they told about Frieza's return, and how a mysterious boy from the future, with the ability to go SSJ appeared, and defeated him, telling them of the future they were trying so hard to avoid.

"So, that was why Kami asked for help?" Usagi asked. The telling of first her story, then theirs, had taken them long into the night. Gohan had already gone to bed, and Chi-Chi was yawning as she served them tea. Piccolo still sat at the table, in his usual glare at everything look, but he also looked tired.

"We think so, and we still have two years to prepare," Goku started, when Usagi gasped, "TWO YEARS?"

"And even that might not be enough," Piccolo added, so she got the hint, and settled down.

"Do you still want to help us?" asked, surprisingly, Chi-Chi.

Usagi closed her eyes for a moment, thinking. It would be a very, very long time until she saw her friends again, and that was only if she survived, which was questionable. There was also that something that was scaring Kami, which might not be the Androids.

_But that had been what she was asking for, right? People who truly needed her?_

There was no real question, was there?

"I'm staying, and I hope I can be of some help," she said softly, and Goku patted her on the back. In fact, he patted her on the back so hard, she nearly hit the table.

"SO! We start tomorrow morning!" Goku shouted gleefully, a fist pumping in the air like he was announcing a party.

_Great Horned Moon, what have I gotten myself into now?_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She couldn't sleep.

Maybe it was because of sleeping in a real bed for the first time in months, or that really, really loud concert of crickets, or probably because Goku's thunderous snores, she decided to go for a walk. 

Usagi had never really been a warrior. If there was ever a person suited to being normal, it was her. She had always wanted to live a normal life, have a normal family, and grow old, normally. 

Yet, a part of her had been the Moon Princess her entire life, hadn't it?

The night was quiet, outside of the house, and her bare feet were getting soaked with dew. She really wasn't all that sure how far she had gotten.

It was a new and wondrous, but terrifying feeling, having to depend on herself, with no Senshi to ask for help. She would be a member of a team here, and no title was going to impress any Android. She smiled coldly to herself.

She would have to impress them some other way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Piccolo sat under a large, fragrant pine, mediating. 

He had been staying much closer to the Son house recently, to be more easily found.

His mediations had been odd as of late. Ever since he had taken that overly pretty broach from Usagi, he had been seeing it in his visions.

It was now after one such vision, and he decided to bring it out to look at it, hoping that might settle his thoughts.

The baby pink broach opened as he pulled from his sash, and the thought crossed his mind that he needed to give it back to its owner. He decided he would do it in the morning.

Inside was a perfect crystal, and he stared at it, as it seemed to glow from within, mesmerized. 

It was warm, a part of his mind said. It was as warm as a person's hands. His black eyes locked into its crystalline depths, and its warmth sank into him, giving him a feeling of peace that he hadn't had in a long time…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi felt a familiar tingle along her nerves. She had gotten so used to the feeling of the crystal that she could always tell where it was. It wasn't all that far away, she decided. Just a short walk from where she was.

There was Piccolo, sitting beneath a tree, entranced by something in his cupped hands. The light coming from it cast his face into relief, showing the sharp edges and planes of his face. The expression was a strange one, one of calm, almost happiness, and one that Usagi had never seen. She wondered what a genuine smile would look like on him.

The moment was broken, and Piccolo looked up, and their eyes met. For one precious instant, their eyes met, and there was- something- between them. An understanding? Connection?

Usagi didn't know, but it was gone, as soon as it was there.

From Piccolo's viewpoint, he had suddenly been confronted with an angel. Usagi had that type of effect on people. She was wearing an old white night gown of Chi-Chi's, and the moonlight made it glow, her now short hair gleamed.

Beautiful, his mind supplied.

Then, it was over, and they were just staring at each other.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"What are you doing out here this late?" Piccolo asked her, his voice harsh.

Usagi jumped, but she wasn't the little girl that would cry at a severe tone anymore.

"I couldn't sleep," she told him. "Goku snored loud enough to shake down the house."

Piccolo, whose hearing was good enough to make out the snores from across the forest, snorted.

"That is a good reason, but you need to get back to sleep. You are going to be having a rough time from now on."

"Oh? How do you suggest I get to sleep then? I don't think his snoring is going to stop any time soon!"

"I guess you can wait out here," he said grudgingly, and to his surprise, Usagi sat down next to him, and looked up at the stars.

"One thing I miss about that island you left me on," she whispered faintly, "was being alone to look at the stars. They were so peaceful."

"The people who live among them aren't always peaceful," Piccolo told her. "I came from those stars; I look at them differently."

"I'm sorry," she said softly, and leaned into his shoulder, falling asleep.

Piccolo didn't say a word, afraid to disturb her.

To be continued.


	6. VI

A Special Training VI

** **

Disclaimer: Not mine, no money.

Usagi woke up, feeling stiff, and cold on one side. Her immediate thought was that she had kicked off all her blankets again, and hadn't moved the rest of the night. Of course, her bed was much softer than what she was lying against, and that she usually didn't sleep upright…

Opening her eyes, she found out why that was so. She was still leaning against Piccolo, who had put his cloak around her back, but it had fallen off her shoulder at some point during the night, leaving it open to the night air. The Namek himself had not moved a muscle, and she could hear his soft breathing as he slept.

It was just before dawn. The sky was that strange steel blue that you could get only at that hour. A few stars remained, and Usagi sighed, as she looked up to the heavens.

She leaned into Piccolo, and noticed to her surprise that his arm was wrapped around her waist. Strange. The gesture seemed more protective than anything else. It wasn't the suggestive thing it would have been with Mamoru. Her teeth clenched tightly at the thought. Mamoru had tried to get her to bed after they had first started dating but after she had told him she wanted to wait, he had started ignoring her entirely.Other than being a boyfriend, he had been nothing to her. He hadn't done anything with her that could be considered other than date like. She was a trophy, something to be shown off, not an equal, or a partner. Just someone pretty to hang off your arm.

Well, from what she had learned from her new friends the other night, she wouldn't have to worry about that here. Goku was married, Gohan too young, and Piccolo asexual. She could be someone different. Not opposite, just different, and redefine herself to be who she wanted.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Piccolo felt the girl stir against his side, and he was vaguely disappointed that she had woken up.

For some reason, though, he felt strange. It was weird, like something in his mind and body had awakened, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

Then he noticed the time.

_Now would be a good time to start with the real training. _He grinned cruelly. The fun would soon be beginning.

"Wake up," he barked, but she was already standing and stretching before he said 'wake'. She must have heard the difference in his breathing. 

Piccolo looked at the outfit she was wearing, and immediately dismissed it as unsuitable. Gesturing, he changed it into a black gi with white weighted shirt, armbands and very heavy boots. The major difference between this one and her old outfit he had given her was the colors, and the weights. It was much, much, _much_ heavier.

Usagi fell to the ground with a thump.

"Hey," she protested, and struggled to move. 

His smile was catlike. 

"You will do fifty push ups first, then follow me running for as long as I tell you to. Understood?"

Usagi gulped, and got to her feet, and wobbled, getting her balance with this strange weight. Falling again, she started swearing, and Piccolo sweat dropped.

"You didn't think this would be easy, did you?" he told her, and she growled at him. Piccolo blinked.

She had growled at him.

Then he grinned hugely. This was going to be _fun._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi groaned for air as she shuffled to a halt behind Piccolo in front of the Son house. 

She was not going to give Piccolo the satisfaction of knowing how much she hurt. She had outrun dinosaurs, really ugly boars, and a temperamental ostrich, and no way was she going to admit how much she hurt.

"Hey, Usagi, where did you go last night?" asked Goku, when he saw who was at the door.

Usagi yawned, and staggered in to the breakfast table. "I couldn't sleep, so I went on a walk. Ran into Piccolo, and fell asleep outside, and then we started training early. Can we eat now?"

"Sure thing!" Goku answered, his eyes lighting up. Chi-Chi was already putting food on the table.

Goku's eyes were soon glued to the food, and Usagi raced over before he could sit, and started helping herself. She knew that look!

"Hey!" the Saiya-jin yelled, and dived in beside her, and the eating war had begun!

The expressions on everyone's face were priceless, and it was pretty much the same for everyone. Complete, slack-jawed amazement.

"I bet that my father will eat more than she does," Gohan said to his mentor, under his breath. 

"Hmm. I think Usagi might just tie," Piccolo whispered back.

Racing through the food, Gohan barely managed to get himself enough for the morning. Piccolo was profoundly grateful that he didn't have to eat.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The physical conditioning was the hardest part of the training Usagi had to go through. Her strength did rapidly increase, along with her stamina. The next part was the actual technique.

Largely Piccolo showed her the move he wanted, and then would pound her until she got it right.

"That hurt," she whimpered, after he had kicked her in the chest hard enough that several ribs cracked. Then she narrowed her eyes in determination, got up, and resumed her stance, giving him a 'bring it on' gesture.

By the Moon, she was not going to be a weakling any more! 

Piccolo's eye ridges rose, and he struck her again, before she could get her breath back. This time she blocked, barely.

He struck again, and followed with an uppercut. The punch connected with her head, sending blood into her eyes.

"Give up yet?" he asked casually, expecting the pampered Princess to throw in the towel.

Rubbing her face, Usagi considered it. It was the middle of the day, she was trembling with weariness, already bleeding from several other cuts. No one would blame her if she rested.

Getting back into position again, she said," Bring it-" she wheezed. "On."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Gohan watched from across the field they were using as a training ground that day.

"She's pushing herself too hard," he said, launching a punch at his father.

"I don't know, I remember how hard I trained at times, she doesn't seem to be having that much trouble."

"Dad, if what she is saying is true, then she hasn't had any real training at all! At least not like this!"

"Really?" Goku exclaimed, the usual amazed-because-I-am-an-idiot look on his face. "You mean she hasn't done this before? Wow! She's doing great then, isn't she?"

Gohan sweat dropped. "You aren't getting my point…"

"You had one? Where?"

Gohan gave up, and went back to sparring.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Concentrate on your ki," Piccolo advised, finally telling Usagi that she needed a break. She was acting strangely stubborn. What Piccolo didn't know was that she was fighting herself more than anyone else.

The temptation to stop, to become the klutzy, crybaby ditz that she had been was always in the back of her mind. She had been fighting it all day, and Piccolo was in the dark about that. All he could see was someone coming a huge way, in a short time. He was not going to tell her he was impressed.

Usagi dipping deep inside herself to keep this up, and was already tapping her ki to fly. Piccolo created a ball of light in his hand; it couldn't hurt anything, but it was the first step in what he was trying to show her.

Biting her lip in weariness, Usagi did as he told her. She saw the ball in her mind, and focused on her cupped hands. Concentration wrinkled her brow, and sweat dripped off her face, and finally a spark started to form. Laughing in delight at the small, blue white light, she stood up, and grinned hugely.

Piccolo couldn't help himself; he smiled back.

Not bad for a first day.

Not bad at all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Time seemed to be rushing by faster than Usagi would have liked. Her second month of training was going by, and she was busy sparing with Piccolo.

Her drills were making her stronger, faster, and tougher. Running over mountains did that to people.

Piccolo judged her to be as strong as Yamcha and Krillin by now. 

Usagi grabbed his fist, and managed to twist him away from her. She bared her teeth, but her feet were swept from beneath her before could finish her high kick fake. Her head slammed into the ground, bouncing once.

Then Piccolo was pinning her. "Yield?"

"NOPE!"

Then she did something she was pretty sure wouldn't work, but because she was going to loose, decided to try anyway.

She kneed him.

The results were completely unexpected.

Actually, he turned a very interesting shade of red, and with his green skin, it was something to see.

He lost his breath, and immediately put his hands over his crotch, doubling over.

"Piccolo?" she asked in shock, her eyes going huge.

He looked even more amazed than she did.

"What-" he wheezed," happened?"

"I used a pot shot on you," she said, getting on her hands and knees, crawling over to him. He was groaning in pain.

"But, I thought you were asexual!" she exclaimed, confused.

He looked as confused as she did.

Thinking quickly, she picked up the _very _surprised Namek, and flew him over to Kami's Lookout.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Oh, Kami, it seems that we have visitors, I will have to make some tea," Mr. Popo cried, as he looked over to see Usagi flying, carrying the still aching Piccolo.

Kami turned to see where Popo was looking, and got the shock of his life. It wasn't everyday you see you supposedly asexual evil counterpart's son, that was now your counterpart, being carried by a human girl half his size, while doubled over, making very pathetic noises.

Usagi landed in a rush, and ran over to him, still carrying Piccolo.

She explained what had happened quickly, and Kami's eyes turned to dinner plates, while he sweat dropped.

"Piccolo, do know why that happened?" Kami asked, and an idea came to him.

"Do you mind, my dear, if you take him into the Lookout?" he asked the moon princess, and she nodded, still holding him, and trotted over inside the enormous floating building, following Kami.

"You might want to leave the room," Kami told her, and she looked at him questioningly. 

"I'm going to examine him, which means taking his clothes off."

Usagi face vaulted, and then left the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Well, I never would have expected that," Kami said to Popo, as they looked over the protesting Piccolo. The pain had ebbed enough that he could think again, and he did not like what they were trying to do.

"Good grief, we are trying to help you!" Kami groused, as Piccolo pushed them away. Piccolo just growled. 

"Oh, come on, we want to know what happened, don't you?"

Piccolo winced, but started to pull his pants down.

"Ahh," Kami said. "I expected something of the sort, but why are they functional?"

Then the pink henshin broach that Usagi had when she got there dropped out of his sash. Picking it up, Kami examined it.

"Well, I think we have our answers right here…" 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi wanted to scream with frustration. It had only been about ten minutes, but still..!

"I believe Kami and Piccolo want to talk to you now," called a voice from behind her, making her jump.

Training came into play, and Popo was decked into a wall.

"OH! I'm sorry! Uh, they want to see me now? Bye!" she said as she remembered what he had told her, and scurried off, with Popo blinking at her, embedded in a wall…

"What's wrong? Is he sick? Is he going to die?" she wailed as she ran into the room where Kami and Piccolo both sat, with Kami looking like he was about to laugh, and Piccolo looking highly embarrassed.

"What, no, my child, but Piccolo has something to tell you."

Piccolo didn't answer, but stared fixedly at a wall.

"If you don't I will."

Piccolo still refused to speak.

"All right, have it your way," Kami muttered, and turned to the ticked off female.

"First off, you have to know something about Nameks. Myself and Piccolo's father, who was also called Piccolo, are truly asexual, but not old enough to reproduce correctly. Piccolo's father was able to produce fighters, but none of them could be completely Namekian. They had hold over traits from the past, ones that he did not actually choose for his offspring. Some of these included wings, tails, etc. When he created Piccolo, before his death, he was unable to recreate himself completely physically or mentally. Thus this Piccolo was created, with a vestigial trait that had not been seen in a Namek for centuries."

Piccolo sighed, and put his face in his hands. Here was the embarrassing part.

"He was actually male. Now, traits like this were usually looked over, but this one was considered an extreme embarrassment to any Namek, even if they were not functional."

Kami paused, and pulled out the silver crystal.

"This is yours?"

She nodded.

"It can heal, correct?"

"Yeah, it can, but it sometimes has a mind of its… Oh, I get what happened now."

Piccolo looked mad.

"I see you get what happened. Piccolo was technically male, and your crystal, as you said, had a mind of its own. For whatever reason, it decided that Piccolo needed healing, and now, he is as male as a human."

Piccolo moaned again, and got up, and started hitting his head into a wall.

"Piccolo-san, don't do that!" Usagi yelled, and dashed over to stop him, grabbing his arm and pulling him away.

The concern on her face made him pause. That weird feeling of understanding passed between them both again, and he stopped trying to splatter his brains all over the wall.

"Now, Piccolo-san, if I can fight evil youma in a miniskirt, you can handle this, right?"

Piccolo didn't really know what to think about that, but the image of her fighting demons in a short skirt sent a chuckle through his lips.

"Now, are you all right?"

"I guess so," he said softly, looking at the young warrior in front of him. 

"Now, we finish training for the day, and since this bothers you so much, we pretend that it never happened, right, Kami?" Usagi declared, and Kami smiled, and nodded.

"Fine, then, lets get back to work, only two more full years until the Androids come!"

To be continued.


	7. VII

A Special Training VII

Disclaimer: Is doesn't belong to me!!! I am not making any money from this.

After the 'revelation' about Piccolo, nothing had really changed. They trained, they sparred, ran, jumped, fought, and yes, did I mention that they trained?

The only difference was that Usagi had a new secret weapon, one that she never used, because she respected her sensei too much to use it.

Usagi got used to the regimen. In fact, she started to thrive on it.

No one was more surprised than she was.

She was good enough that they could group spar now, with Usagi and Piccolo on one team, and Goku and Gohan on another. 

Usually, in the course of this, Usagi would fight Gohan, and Piccolo, Goku. A year was left, two years since Usagi had gotten to this strange world. 

"MASENKO!"

Usagi swatted the energy blast aside, and retaliated with her own. "Special Beam Cannon!"

This she followed with a low kick to his shins, and jumping over Gohan's head to land behind him, but he caught her in the midsection with a back kick. Grunting loudly, but unhurt, Usagi glanced over to see how her teammate was doing. Piccolo was sweating hard, growling deep in his throat, as Goku seemed to fight with a seemingly endless supply of strength.

_That guy is incredible,_ she thought, seeing the way Goku moved. Yet she admired Piccolo more. The cunning, grace and strategy that went into his style were amazing. 

From her perspective, even as she kept half her attention on Gohan, she saw that Goku was going to go for the same blow that had disabled Piccolo over a year ago. Groin shots were usually guarded against in human fighters, but it was a weakness that Piccolo had yet to cover.

_Goku doesn't know! I promised no one would find out!_

__The way they had been fighting had been all out. No one had been pulling their blows that day, and if they hadn't been in as good of shape they had been, they would have been comatose or dead.

Goku faked high, and was about to-

"SAILOR TELEPORT!" she yelled, and Usagi was suddenly above Goku, and landed a hard kick to his head. Somehow she spring boarded over off his shoulders, and slammed her ridge hand into his kidneys.

"Aphck-" 

She had landed on her knee, and turned it into a sweep. Piccolo looked at her in disbelief, before being attacked by Gohan-

The partners had been switched, and Usagi had a whole other world of pain to deal with.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Why did you interfere with my fight today?" Piccolo demanded of Usagi after they had finished for the evening. 

Usagi was taken aback. She had done so to help him. Of course, he couldn't have seen what she did. He thought she was impinging on his honor-

"She saw me about to hit you in the crotch."

Turning, they both saw Goku walking over towards them. 

It had gotten to be a ritual with them; they would get a bath at night, because of how hard they worked out during the day. Since the Sons had no plumbing, they would take turns getting wood and water for each other. That night it was Goku and Gohan's turn. Then they would go to a spring to scrub off before soaking.

Usagi would get to go first, because she was a girl.

Goku dumped the wood into a pile by his house.

"She covered you, isn't that what a partner is supposed to do?" Goku asked the angered Namek. 

Piccolo listened to what Goku said, and turned to Usagi. He looked very chagrined.

She had helped him keep his secret, one that he thought was extremely embarrassing. She had promised to do so, and he had gotten mad at her for it, without giving her a chance to explain. Grimacing, he realized he would have to do something he rarely ever did. 

He apologized.

"I am sorry, Usa. Arigato."

Usagi found herself grinning, knowing he would never question her fighting with him again. She liked that.

Punching him in the shoulder, she answered him," What are partners for?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I need to thank you again," said a voice from behind her, later that night. Usagi didn't jump this time, because she had sensed the presence of the fighter behind her. 

"Why? You did already."

He came out onto the ledge that she had been sitting on. It was late at night, and Usagi couldn't sleep again. Despite the bone melting relaxation that came from a hard workout, sleep had eluded her. Maybe it was because her mind would not stop buzzing.

That first night when she had fallen asleep against his shoulder was over a year ago, and she wondered about how much she had changed, physically and mentally. Her muscles were sharply defined, and she had kept her hair cut as short as Haruka's. Hands rough and calloused, faint scars on her arms and face. The only thing that would have identified her as the moon princess was her eyes. Those glowing, brilliant blue eyes now had the strength and surety that had once been known in her mother's kingdom.

Yet, they belonged completely to Usagi.

"You protected my secret. At risk to yourself."

Fluidly he sat beside her, and joined her in stargazing.

"You know," she started suddenly. "I was a real wimp before I came here. I was a puppet, both for the good guys and the bad. A pawn to be fought over. I don't doubt that my friends cared about me, but they never allowed me to grow, to change. Yet, when my future daughter showed up, who was everything they wanted me to be, they liked her more. Even the man that they always said I was soul mated to, he liked her better. I just don't understand it…"

Piccolo just listened. He figured this was something she needed to get off her chest.

"I never wanted to be a fighter, but here I am, training with you Z warriors to be one. Yet, I don't hate it the way I did being a Sailor Senshi, and the Moon Princess. Why?"

Piccolo guessed that the question was rhetorical, but decided to answer anyway.

"I understand that. I was thought to be evil all my life, and my only purpose was to defeat Goku. It wasn't until the Saiya-jins came that I thought to change, that I didn't have to stay the same person my whole life. I think the reason you came here, was because we did need you, and it was of your own will. You didn't have someone telling you to do it."

Usagi nodded, slowly, to herself. It sounded right, almost.

"I don't give a damn if you were the moon princess, or an over stuffed rabbit, so long as you can fight."

Usagi turned to him in disbelief. The expression on his face was totally serious, though, and she burst out laughing.

"I don't care if you are an enormous green alien, or Prince Endymion, so long as you are my friend and keep my back covered in a fight."

Piccolo couldn't help but smile around her. "You are who you are now. That's all that matters."

Snuggling into his side again, she went to sleep. Piccolo gently gathered her up into his arms. It was a cold night, and she needed to go to bed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Usa-chan?" he heard himself say as he tried to lay her down into the bed. She had a firm grip on the front of his top, and wouldn't let go. To loosen that grip he would have to wake her up, he realized, or take his shirt off. Since he was wearing his cape over his shirt, and he couldn't get his arms to work, for some reason, he gave a put upon sigh, and sat on the futon in the living room they had given her. Laying her on the pad beside him, he still had his arms around her, and Usagi seemed to cuddle closer to him…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Uh," whispered a voice in his ear. "Piccolo, would you mind letting me go now?" a familiar voice asked him. 

For some reason Piccolo had been having a strange dream involving pink bunnies going to school, and fighting over carrots, this voice didn't register immediately. 

He grunted something about not liking orange, and rolled over.

Of course, the precious thing that he had been holding had to go with him. He couldn't leave it over there.

He now lay on his back, with that nice warm precious thing on top of him.

"PICCOLO!"

He sat up, and Usagi was knocked off his lap.

"Uuuu-hmph?"

"Usa-chan?" he said, still groggy. He wouldn't admit to being tired, but he was working harder than she had been, and was really worn out.

"Uh, Piccolo, why are you holding on to me?"

Piccolo blinked stupidly for a moment.

"You didn't let go of me when I tried to put you on your futon last night, so I decided to sleep in here," he answered her. Usagi nodded, about to laugh.

"Okay, you don't tell anyone, and neither will I."

They both vowed silence on the matter.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"YOU TWO ARE GOING TO GO GET YOUR LICENCES!" bellowed Chi-Chi, looking at Goku and Piccolo. 

Usagi had just finished her scrub, and it looked like Goku and Gohan were about to start theirs, but Chi-Chi had started a tirade about a car. Goku was his usual bewildered self, nodding helplessly, and Piccolo just looked dumbfounded that she had included him.

"Why do I have to-"

"You have been living with us for so long now that you need to take some responsibility!" she yelled, and even Piccolo knew when a fight was hopeless.

Usagi did her best to keep a straight face. She didn't want to have Chi-Chi's wrath turned towards her.

"Tomorrow morning, you two are going to learn how to drive!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Gohan and Usagi hunkered down, out of the way, while Chi-Chi got Piccolo and Goku dressed to go to the Capsule Corp driving school.

"I do not want her to notice us," she and Gohan agreed, behind the couch.

"Yeah," Gohan answered, and took a quick peak over the top.

"Good, they're gone."

"Whew," they said together. 

"Hey, Usagi, are you old enough to drive?"

"I don't know, I think I lost track of the past two years… I guess I'm about sixteen now…"

They tried to creep out of the house, so that they could train some but apparently Chi-Chi had very good ears.

Without warning they were grabbed by the back of the neck and dragged back inside.

"Mom!"

"Chi-Chi-san!"

Chi-Chi gazed at them impassively. "You, young man, are going to study. Usagi, you are going to take me to see Bulma today. I haven't spoken to her in a long time, and I need to see how she is doing. Is that clear?"

Both nodded, gulping hard.

"We'll leave for Bulma's in about an hour," said Chi-Chi, with a mother's total authority over her house.

"I guess I'll see you later, huh?" Gohan told his friend. 

The two had gotten along famously, probably because of their mutual admiration for Piccolo. In fact, Gohan had taught her his song, 'Piccolo-san Dai Suki.' (I love Mr. Piccolo.) On days were they felt like bothering the adults, they would follow Piccolo around, singing together. For some reason, Piccolo was not amused.

"Yeah," Usagi answered him, and gave him a hug. He was so sweet. There were several times that she wished she could trade Chibi-Usa in for him. He hugged her back, and went into his room with a sigh.

"Come on, Usa, time to go!"

Usagi sighed, and walked out of the house, with Chi-Chi. Scooping her up, she asked her where they were going.

"You've been here this whole time, and never been to Capsule Corp?"

Usagi shook her head, and added," You've told me that's where Bulma and Vegeta are, right?"

"Yes."

Pointing, they took to the air, and it was only a few minutes before they got there.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Wow," Usagi whispered, seeing the enormous building. It was yellow, and round.

"Man, I think I should have gotten out more and seen what your world looks like!"

Chi-Chi pointed at where they should land. Usagi saw that it was close to a large round thing, a different one than the building that looked like a circular house. A huge power source radiated from inside.

"Bulma should be inside."

Usagi followed Chi-Chi, never taking her eyes off of the bubble looking thing.

"Chi-CHI!" said a voice from inside the house. Looking up, both women saw a blue haired woman and a blond one, the blue haired one heavily pregnant.

"BULMA?" Chi-Chi exclaimed, surprised by what she saw.

_So, Chi-Chi didn't know that she was expecting?_ Thought Usagi.

"Oh, man, Chi-Chi, I wanted the baby to be a surprise!" said the blue haired lady and she stared at Usagi. 

"Who's she?"

"Her? This is Usagi. She came to help Goku and the others fight the androids. She's been training with them now for about two years," said Chi-CHI, by way of introduction.

"Pleased to meet you," she told Bulma, who took her hand.

"I was going shopping for baby stuff today, you want to come?" Bulma asked, and Usagi grinned. It had been two years since she had been shopping, and she wondered what it would be like, now that she had changed so much.

"You bet!" she whooped, bouncing on her toes.

"Now, we need to have you change clothes, dear," said the blond, who was introduced as Bulma's mother.

"What's wrong with my…" Usagi asked, and then looked down at what she was wearing. Black training clothes, with a white undershirt, wristbands, and boots. All of it was battered, had old sweat stains, and had multiple rips. Comfortable, but not exactly fashionable.

"I think you should fit some of my old things," Bulma told her. Usagi sighed. This was going to be more trouble than she thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Later, with both Bulma and Chi-Chi grinning because they had gotten to dress Usa like a giant doll, brought her out.

She was wearing a wrap around mini skirt, red, with a blue tube top. They had put dangling earrings in, lightly curled her short hair, and she was wearing sandals. It was completely inappropriate to fight in. Then, Bulma's mother had come in to put on her make up!

"Sweet Serenity," Usagi mumbled, looking at herself in the mirror. She looked like…

Well, she did look good. Unlike the pale wraith she had been, she was sleek and muscular now, with a good tan. 

She didn't recognize herself.

"Uh, let's get going, shall we?" she asked, and the other women nodded. Taking a hover car, they headed for the nearest mall.

_I couldn't have flown here faster,_ Usagi thought.

They got out, and started wandering around in the mall.

They ooo'ed and ahh'ed over cute baby things, and finally Chi-Chi had to ask, "Is Yamcha happy to be a father?"

Then Bulma stopped, dead still.

Heaving a deep sigh, she answered. "It's not Yamcha's baby."

Chi-Chi's eyes nearly bugged out.

"We broke up a long time ago. I don't really know how, or why, but I fell in love with Vegeta. This is his child."

Chi-Chi fainted.

Usagi, who didn't really know these people, just shrugged.

"I hope you are happy," she said to Bulma. Bulma smiled. 

"Most of the Z warriors don't like Vegeta much, but he does have his points…"

Chi-Chi started coming around after Usagi had picked her up, and they headed for the food court so they could sit and talk.

The romance between Vegeta and Bulma was a rather strange story to listen to. 

Usagi found herself giggling most of the time while she heard it, and Chi-Chi kept putting her hand over her mouth in shock.

"Then, well, he has trouble admitting how he feels," Bulma said pensively. "I wish-"

She sighed, deeply. Then her eyes widened hugely, and she gasped, putting her hand on her belly.

"Bulma? What is it?" asked Chi-Chi, worried. 

"I think-" she started to look panicked. "My water just broke!"

Chi-Chi nodded, and Usagi stared. Chi-Chi, knowing what Bulma was going through, rushed them outside, telling Usagi to carry Bulma, which she did. She popped open the capsule car.

"I'll take Bulma to the hospital, you go get Vegeta!" Chi-Chi ordered.

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You can fly, remember? Bulma will want the father there. If you can, ask Mrs. Briefs to call Yamcha. He was still her friend."

Usagi sprinted over to the side of the mall, and jumped to the roof, easily. From there, with a sonic boom, she raced to Capsule Corp.

_Okay, okay, how do I find this Vegeta person?_

__Well, she guessed that huge power must be him. They said he was an alien, right?

Right, so, go into that weird round thingy, and get him to go to his wife!

There it was- 

Landing beside it, she tried opening the door. It was locked.

Looking around for a way to open it, she found an intercom.

"Hey, Vegeta-san, Bulma needs you!" she shouted, trying to get the man's attention. She waited several minutes, and no one answered.

"Hey, I told you, that Bulma needs you right now-"

"Leave me alone, woman, I'm training!"

"What?" Usagi exclaimed. This was the guy that Bulma said she loved? He wasn't interested in hearing what she had to say?

"You better come out of there," she threatened, her voice dripping menace. "Bulma is in no shape to do this for herself, and I flew all this way-"

"I am training, and if you know what's good for you-"

"Oh, come on, one day! This is more important than a dozen androids!" she barked back, but no one answered this time.

"Kuso!" Usagi hissed, when she realized that he had cut off the intercom. "Bastard."

Her temper rising, not knowing that the crescent moon had appeared on her forehead, Usagi punched the door in.

"Yo, Vegeta!"

Walking inside the room, Usagi didn't notice the gravity, or the heat. Her temper was hotter, anyhow.

"Buddy, I am trying to get your attention, and by the moon, you will listen!"

A short man, he was shorter than her now, with a shock of black, spiky hair, wrapped with bandages in various places, turned to her.

"Who do you think you are? I am the Prince of the Saiya-jins! I will not be told what to do!"

"I," Usagi declared," am the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, and by Kami, you will come with me!"

"You and what army, little girl?" Vegeta sneered.

Usagi powered up, and got into a ready stance.

"I don't need one."

To be continued-

Usagi vs. Vegeta!


	8. VIII

A Special Training VIII

Disclaimer: No money is made off of the copyrighted characters used in this story; I only own the plot, which is a product of my sick mind.

Usagi kicked off the ridiculous sandals from her feet. They wouldn't do her any good fighting, anyway.

Vegeta was sneering at her still, and Usagi knew, that despite her brave words to the contrary, she would have a rough time getting him to the hospital to be with Bulma.

Why was he being such a bastard?

Apparently she wasn't attacking fast enough, because Vegeta suddenly tackled her, sending her through the wall of the round building. Landing on her back, Usagi got her feet underneath her, and snapped them up, throwing him into the air. Flipping to her feet, silver light surrounded her, her crescent moon glowing brightly. 

_Damn, of all the times to remember Piccolo still has my henshin broach!_

__The Saiya-jin Prince floated in front of her, his arms crossed haughtily, his smirk still in place.

"Hmm. For a little girl, your power level is actually pretty high. That is interesting. But, you will have to do much better than that –"

Usagi was, sadly, used to the speeches that villains tended to make, and decided she wasn't going to listen to this one.

"KA-ME-HA-ME-HA!"

This blasted Vegeta back into the CC building itself, and a good four feet into the ground.

"You are going to have-" he wheezed, trying to get his breath," better than that, little girl."

Clenching her teeth, Usagi forced herself to smile, noticing that he was favoring the ribs on his right side.

"I will. MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

This was a new attack she had been working on. It was a variation of one that had used moonlight, and was reflected off her tiara. She had decided it would make a great ki attack.

The effect was ghostly light hitting the Prince, and him screaming in agony.

"Pretty good for a little girl, huh? Now, are we going to get to the hospital to see your kid getting born, or what?"

Coughing, Vegeta looked confused.

"My kid? What are you talking about?"

"DUH! Bulma went into labor, when we went shopping, and she went to the hospital to have it! ARE YOU COMING OR NOT?"

Vegeta blinked at her, completely confused. 

"Do you love Bulma?" she asked him.

The man blinked again. "I… guess…"

"I am going into the house to tell Bulma's mom, and you had better give me a better answer than that when I come back, jerk!"

Stomping into the building, Usagi zeroed in on the ki of Bulma's parents. They were in the kitchen. Bursting in, she babbled out the good news, and grabbed the suitcases that Bulma had already packed.

She found the still dazed and confused Vegeta staring at nothing, his eyes glazed.

"Vegeta?"

"She's having the baby?"

"Yes, Vegeta, she's having the baby."

For the first time in his life, Vegeta passed out cold.

"Ah, man, why me?' Usagi griped, and slung him over her shoulder.

"SAILOR TELEPORT!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She focused on Chi-Chi, and she arrived with the Prince and Bulma's things in the waiting room of the hospital, to several stares of amazement.

Chi-Chi jumped backwards, putting her hand to her chest in surprise.

"How did you- Never mind," she said, and looked over at the passed out Vegeta. He was still smoking in some places.

"You had to knock him out to get him here?" Chi-Chi asked, disapproval thick in her voice.

Usagi shook her head. "He passed out when I told him that Bulma was in labor."

Chi-Chi burst out laughing.

There was a soft grunt from Vegeta as he started to come to. 

"I wish you had time to change," Chi-Chi said, wrinkling her nose at what Vegeta was wearing, which was spandex shorts, gloves and boots.

Usa thought, and grinned. "No problem. Disguise Power! Make Vegeta look… decent!"

He did. He was wearing khakis, a pink shirt that said 'badman', and brown shoes.

"Problem solved!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Vegeta finally woke up, and immediately started pacing. He didn't even notice the clothing he was now wearing to complain about it.

"So, you aren't mad at me?" Usaig asked him, from her seat on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs, elbows on her knees, and her chin propped on her hands.

"What? Oh, brat, you," he mumbled, not even paying attention to what she had said.

"I hope Bulma is okay," Chi-Chi mumbled, looking worried. "When I had Gohan- It was a hard delivery."

At this Vegeta looked up, his expression carefully blank.

Usagi narrowed her concentration, reaching out to the spark of life force that was Bulma's…

Her eyes had shut, but now they snapped open.

"Vegeta, I think you had better go to her, now," she whispered, looking like she was about to cry.

He glared at her, and opened his mouth-

"She doesn't have much longer…"

The Saiya-jin closed his mouth and rushed to the delivery room, bypassing the doctor on her way to tell them…

~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Vegeta had suddenly appeared in the recovery room, and looked over at the sweaty, and exhausted Bulma. In her arms was a little blue wrapped bundle, but something was wrong. The smell of death over all over everything, and Bulma was crying.

"Woman?" he asked haltingly, and she raised her eyes, her face red and shining from tears.

"He didn't make it, Vegeta. The cord was wrapped around his neck…"

Something Vegeta didn't know he could feel broke, and his heart froze inside him.

_No, she has to be joking, lying… This can't be! I didn't train, come through so much…_

_NO!_

Then Bulma gave a tremulous smile. "Its all right, though," she said softly, barely audible. "I'll be going with him, soon… I'm hemorrhaging, and I don't have all that long left."

Vegeta felt like everything in his world was coming apart, worse than when his planet was destroyed. He had nothing he cared about there-

_I care about her? The child?_

_Oh, Kami, yes, I do. Without them to fight for…_

__Vegeta had only cried for himself, before. Now, he turned away, and silent tears started down his face for his mate and son.

_I don't care about this damn planet! I don't care about becoming damned SUPER SAIYA-JIN now! Revenge on Kakarroto be hanged! I want Bulma, and my son!_

__Despair, and refusal to acknowledge what was going on ripped through his being, he turned to her, and gathered both into his arms.

_I don't care about my own life!_

A howl of agony burst from him, and he didn't even notice through his tears as he achieved what he had wanted for so long.

_I want my mate and child, dammit!_

__He didn't see as the energy he was generating healed them, and the tiny wail of a newborn filled the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi and Chi-Chi burst into the room, feeling the huge tide of energy that came from it.

Amazed, they saw Vegeta holding a sleeping Bulma and their newborn.

The doctors followed, and rapidly checked their vitals. All were absolutely fine.

And that, my friends, is the real story of how Vegeta became a SSJ.


	9. IX

A Special Training IX

** **

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z do not belong to me, and I make no money from this.

When Usagi and Chi-Chi got back that evening, they were exhausted.

Considering what had happened that day, they had every right to be.

"I hope that the boys did well on their driving tests," Chi-Chi mumbled. "Today has been full of surprises enough."

Usa laughed tiredly, her cheeks smudged from both crying and fighting.

They were drinking tea to settle their nerves, when Gohan joined them. Usa saw him first, and tried to waive him off, keeping him from his mother's wrath…

"And where have you been young man?" Chi-Chi said harshly.

"Uh, I went out to play?"

Chi-Chi then sighed, and for once, relented. She was too worn out to yell.

"Go and get what you did finish today and let me check it. Then I'll start supper."

Usagi grimaced. "I'll get it going, Chi-Chi-san, while you do that." 

She walked into the kitchen. Chi-Chi kept her kitchen well stocked, because you never knew when her hungry boys would be up. It was also a matter of chef's pride. Looking around at the room she had gotten to know fairly well, she found the miso…

As she started heating up water, the young woman heard a scream, and a loud thud. There had been no threatening auras, but who knew?

Charging out into the living room, she saw the battered and burned duo of Piccolo and Goku, standing over the passed out Chi-Chi.

Usagi couldn't help it. She fell over, laughing hysterically.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Time again seemed to pass in a blur, only those occasional nights of stargazing, with Piccolo, sometimes without, seemed to be much more frequent. 

Usagi would sometime wonder what would happen when she returned to her world. Could she be Sailor Moon, and the Moon Princess again? Could she just sit, while her friends took care of her?

Did she even want to go back?

As soon as she thought that, her throat seemed to close up, and her eyes welled with tears. The sun was down; she could be totally honest with herself here.

A silent presence was at her back. It was always comforting to have Piccolo there. Sometimes he would join her and talk, others, he would just watch for a little while, and then leave.

As gracefully as a falling leaf, he sat beside her, making even less noise.

A clawed finger brushed her face, catching a tear that had escaped.

"You are crying. Why?"

Taking a deep breath, she answered hoarsely," I was thinking of what might happen tomorrow, and- after."

The night was before the coming of the Androids. In truth, she didn't think that she would live through this. The story that young man from the future had told was too bleak. Her own power had increased, but from what they had been told-

She decided not to think about that.

"What is so frightening about after? Either we live, or we die. We are warriors, we don't fear dying."

Usagi found herself laughing softly.

"I think I am afraid of living."

She didn't have to look over to see his eyebrow ridge quirk.

"I have a duty to my home, but I'm not sure I want to-" she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Piccolo didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before. She hadn't spoken of her world often, other than vague references. The thought of not having Usa-chan in his life was… disturbing.

_Why?_

_She's the best student I ever had._

_That can't explain it,_ another part of his mind argued back.

_She will guard me like a wolf, and I-_

__His mind shied away from that last thought, not even formed in his head yet.

He didn't want her to go; that was obvious. The strange part was that he hadn't even realized until that moment. Piccolo had just assumed that she would always be there-

_Like the moon, waxing and waning through life, changing, but always present._

__Yet, he had destroyed the moon, hadn't he?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usa craned her neck to see Piccolo's face. He was deep in thought, his own eyes trained on the moon. His face was so harsh, so unyielding, yet there was a kindness there. He had always treated her like a competent human, if not warrior. Not like a ditz, or a crybaby. He had held her when she slept, and she had felt no fear for herself, or her virtue-

_Unlike Mamoru._

__Piccolo reminded her of a heroic statue, with his face cast into relief by the faint light. Noble, chiseled, and handsome…

_Where the hell did that thought come from?_

__The thought of leaving him made her feel like someone had ripped her in half, and she hadn't actually left yet!

The heat coming off his body was surprising, considering his alien appearance. She was grateful for it in the cool of the night. Burying her face in his chest, she hugged him, and she could feel his start of surprise.

He hummed deep in his throat, as his arms came to wrap themselves around her, and she breathed in deep, getting his warm scent. Not human, but musky, and definitely male…

_Down, girl!_

__He rocked gently, as she sat in his lap. The connection that they felt seemed stronger now than ever. Friends, partners, soul mates; she doubted even Gohan had managed to get him to talk as much as he had to her. 

_How can I leave him?_

__The question would continue to haunt her, the rest of the night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Don't forget your lunches!" cried Chi-Chi, the next morning. Usagi, Gohan and Goku turned to face her. They were about to leave for the island south of South City.

"We really won't have time for lunch, Chi-Chi," said Goku, even though he looked like he regretted saying it.

"Its okay, Chi-Chi-san," Usagi soothed her. She knew that Chi-Chi was trying to help in the best way she knew how. "With the enormous breakfast you made, we shouldn't have to eat of a year."

Goku seriously looked like he was about to cry at that part.

"Okay, lets get out of here before Chi-Chi convinces everyone to stay for her cooking," rumbled Piccolo.

Usagi snickered as they took to the air.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They arrived in time to see Bulma, holding little Trunks.

Piccolo knew who the child was, but when Goku let it slip that he knew the kid's name, he could see the suspicion on Usagi's face.

"Have we met?" asked Yamcha, getting a good look at the pretty blond with the group.

She was dressed in what had become her habitual black gi with white accents. She had kept her hair short, and was without any kind of ornamentation. Yet, to Yamcha, and any other male present, including Krillin, she was a knockout. The exercise made her move with confidence and power, and she now had a woman's curves, instead of being a wraith.

"No," she said, giving them her dazzling smile. Piccolo did not know why he suddenly wanted to slug Yamcha…

"I'm Usagi Tsukino. I'm here to help you fight the Androids."

Yamcha put out his hand, and she grasped it, squeezing gently. At least, she thought it was gently.

"Oh, my Kami-sama!" Yamcha screamed, clutching his bruised hand.

This elicited a giggle from everyone else.

"Anyone seen Vegeta?" asked Gohan, who had started playing with the baby. 

Bulma shook her head. Usagi's eyes hardened.

"And here I thought he had changed…" she mumbled, and then looked at Piccolo. "Speaking of change, do you still have my broach?"

Piccolo looked startled by her request, at least as startled as he ever looked.

"Yes," he answered, and took it from his sash. Looking at it, Usagi smiled.

"Let's see if any of my new powers carry over…"

"MOON COSMIC POWER, MAKE-UP!"

The usual transformation sequence began, and when she was done, there were several nosebleeds.

"What?" she asked, confused.

Piccolo was holding his nose rather tightly, and asked," Did you know that you go nude when you do that?"

She looked at him in shock. "I _do?_"

Yamcha started laughing. He was promptly hit by Piccolo, followed by Sailor Moon.

She noticed some changes to her costume. One, her hair was still short, and she was lacking her tiara. Instead, the crescent moon shone proudly. Pearls studded her short bangs. Otherwise, it was unchanged.

"Oh, good grief. I forgot how short this blasted thing was…"

"I am glad Master Roshi isn't here," muttered Krillan, also holding his nose. "He'd have died of blood loss my now."

"Hey, I can still fight in this!"

It was then that Yajerobi showed up with his senzu beans. Goku wanted to know if he was there to fight, but he wimped out. Usagi huffed angrily.

Then his ship exploded.

"The Androids! They must be here!" yelled Yamcha, fear coloring his voice.

Usagi nodded, sensing something wrong down below. "I can't sense any ki, but I do sense… negativity."

It was weird, she thought. Something that had the same flat wrongness of the Negaverse, being here. Although it wouldn't do them much good, she answered herself rhetorically. I can't pinpoint where they are.

She joined the others looking for the Androids in the city below.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sailor Moon didn't like the looks her skirt was getting. She had forgotten how boys could be. You spend three years in the wilderness, and this is what happens!

Screams greeted her sensitive ears, and the sense of a high life force fading rapidly.

She saw smoke rising, and headed there without thought.

"Great Serenity!"

Fire from an exploded gas tank, and dead bodies everywhere. Yamcha with a hole in his chest.

"WHAT KIND OF MONSTERS ARE YOU?" she screamed without thought, her eyes turning to the creature that had Yamcha impaled on its hand.

It looked like an old man, but Sailor Moon had dealt with harmless looking creatures before.

The old man, and the clown look alike seemed surprised to see her.

"I have no files on his one, 20," stated the clown, his voice sounding hollow, false.

"Nor do I. It does not matter, however."

"I know who you are," she said angrily, and turned to the fallen body of her friend, and willed her wand into existence- it didn't work.

"Crap," she whispered, and hoped this would work. She didn't notice as the others arrived.

"Moon healing, escalation!"

The silver light of the crystal shone over Yamcha, stabilizing him, keeping him from dying…

"What are you beasts?" she yelled. "You stole his life energy! Are you youma?"

She didn't see Goku, but she could feel the reassuring presence of Piccolo beside her.

"Krillin, get Yamcha out of here," ordered an enraged Goku.

"But-" Krillan protested, then nodded. Grabbing his fallen comrade, he took to the skies.

"I don't know what kind of bastard created you," Usagi whispered at the two monstrosities in front of her. "But in the name of all those you have hurt, and those you will _never_ hurt, because we will stop you, you will be punished!"

There was no pose to accompany this, just the pure hatred that radiated from the once pristine warrior.

Then she charged them, but Goku grabbed her and held her back.

"Usa," he whispered. "Don't lose your head like that! We can wish them-"

He stopped because she had turned, and taken to the air.

"IN THE NAME OF THE MOON, MOON HEALING **ESCALATION!**"

The androids and the Z Senshi watched in wonder as those that had been killed were bathed in the light of the silver crystal- and healed.

"We will take this fight somewhere else," said Goku, his tone deadly quiet. He nodded to Sailor Moon, giving her a grin at what she had managed. She smiled tiredly back. The Androids now watched her warily. 

And Piccolo…

His face was full of pride.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They flew among the many small islets in the area, and Sailor Moon wondered precisely where they were going. Next to her was Tienn, and on the other was Piccolo. 

Piccolo gave an annoyed grunt.

"What is it?" Tien asked him, and Piccolo turned towards him.

"Eyes front."

All three of them widened, and he blushed. The presence of a pretty girl in a fight was not something he was used to.

Sailor Moon heard all of this exchange, and despite of the situation, she giggled.

Then her attention went to Goku.

_Something about him just isn't right…but I can't put my finger on it._

__"I have had enough of this," said '20'. "I will choose a place to fight myself."

He landed abruptly, and Usa was confused. She could see the same thoughts going through Piccolo's head as they landed. _Why here?_

__Instinctively the divided the area, Piccolo checking one side, Usagi the other.

They turned to the Androids. Goku demanded they tell him why they were doing this.

"You are doing this out of some sort of sick grudge?" Goku grimaced, sickened.

"Although, your files, they never had me in them, or the fact that Goku can become a Super Saiya-jin in them, did they?" Sailor Moon smirked, and bowed to Goku, gesturing for him to come forward. He did, and exploded with gold.

Then, he beat the crap out of Android 19.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yamcha, Gohan and Krillin arrived to tell them about the energy drain that the Androids had.

They all seemed so confident that Goku could handle this freak- but something was really, really going wrong. Turning to Piccolo, Sailor Moon could tell that he felt it too.

Then Goku slowed down, and started clutching at his chest. 

"Oh, kuso," Usa hissed, and it clicked in her mind. The others started going on about the energy drain, but it was-

"It's the heart virus, you guys," she shouted at them, and Piccolo nodded in agreement. Usa was swearing hard, and rushed over to help-

"That, young lady, is foolish," said 20, appearing in front of her, -

Then landing a beam to her shoulder.

"USA-CHAN!" shouted Piccolo, anguished.

She sprawled to the ground, as Vegeta struck 19, with a heel to the face.

To be continued!


	10. X

A Special Training X

Disclaimer: The copyrighted series characters used in this story do not belong to me, and I make no money from it whatsoever.

Sailor Moon was in that strange place, where all she could do was hear. Her shoulder burned with fire and ice, but it was healing quickly, thanks to her power and Sailor healing abilities.

The pure bull of what Vegeta was saying finally got her so ticked off, that she could get out of that limbo- and it clicked.

"You're the one that hit me!" she snarled, getting to her feet again, and glaring daggers at Vegeta. She didn't notice that she had been held…

Goku was slung over Yamcha's shoulder as they flew away, and Sailor Moon turned to watch the fight between Vegeta and 19.

Her teeth clenched as she watched, getting mad at what Vegeta had done, although a part of her cheered with triumph over 19 when he was defeated.

20 looked terrified, then he left.

Vegeta told them to stay behind, saying they were too weak to be of any help.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Usa groused, as she watched the walking ego fly away.

"Usa-chan, don't do anything rash!" Piccolo protested. She stopped from flying away, and looked at the others.

"Ooh, Usa-chan, huh?" asked Tien, wanting to laugh. "And who was telling me to keep my eyes to myself?"

Sailor Moon and Piccolo ignored them, although Krillin and Gohan looked interested.

"Piccolo, we have to follow him, be may need backup!"

"I agree; but we also need to think first. Rushing in like that could get us all killed."

Sailor Moon nodded, but still looked mad. Then she sighed.

"Let's go, then!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Oh, come on, how hard can an Android be to find?" she asked herself rhetorically, floating over the huge boulder yard they were searching through.

The sense of darkness that she had felt was still present, but since it was such a generalized feeling, there was damn little she could do about it.

Sailor Moon had learned quite a few things over the past few years, and one was the fine art of swearing. This she did, colorfully, and without repeating herself. 

"AH- mmph!" she tried to scream, as a hand was placed over her mouth.

Energy drain was something that Sailor Moon was quite familiar with. It had happened countless times with her Senshi, while fighting various villains from the Negaverse. So she knew how long she could fight this guy.

Then she had another reason to be mad. This old pervert was groping her!

-_Piccolo, Gohan, help! The Android has me!-_

__Reaching into her reserves, she tried to cut off the energy supply he was taking, but even as she struggled to throw him off, she knew she had made a serious blunder…

_Whoomph!_

__Lightening seemed to strike from the heavens, and she was aware of being held by strong arms, and she was no longer being drained.

"Great Horned Moon," she garbled, rage filling her as she looked at the old man.

"Krillin, Usagi needs a senzu!" said Piccolo, as she floated away from him, shaking her head to clear it.

Her head snapped up, and she caught the tiny bean. Chewing, her strength returned. So had Vegeta, and he was about to start fighting the pervert…

"Like hell! Vegeta, I owe the bastard, he groped me, as well as took my energy! 20, get ready to die, because if you think Vegeta is tough, you have never, ever seen a woman get mad!"

As she said this, she dismissed her Sailor Form, and floated there as Usagi, and grinned nastily.

She could almost see the thoughts going through the old man's head. She had seemingly 'weakened' herself, and since she wasn't a Saiya-jin, he thought he could beat her easily. 

He smiled calmly back at her. 

"Bring it-" he was interrupted by a knee to his gut.

The only thing that the Android could see at that moment was a shining crescent moon, and he was being beaten, again and again. 

Piccolo grinned at his pupil. Her form and speed were excellent, and her strength was immense. 

"Gods," whispered Krillin. "She must nearly be as strong as a SSJ."

Vegeta humphed.

The Android tried a roundhouse to her head, but she wasn't there.

Then she was behind him, her fingers threaded together into a double fist, and he was slammed into the ground.

"No one ever touches me without me saying so," she growled, and followed him down. Girls don't play 'fair', especially when they are pissed.

Before she could get there, he had disappeared, and Usagi saw a fist coming towards her chest-

It slapped against her palm as she caught it, and she kicked him where the sun don't shine.

The look of agony on his face was hilarious, but all the males winced.

He fell again, and this time didn't get back up.

Then a power source, a huge one, came from nowhere.

"Trunks is back!" exclaimed a voice, and Usagi turned to see who had yelled. What would Bulma be doing here with her kid?

What greeted her eyes was- The guy was one of the most gorgeous that she had ever seen. Lavender hair, pale blue eyes, a warrior- Oh, by the Moon, he was _hot!_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"What do you mean, those aren't the Androids you told us about?" roared Vegeta. The boy, Trunks, was taken aback by his tone, but answered. 

"They look different then the ones I fought, but they are androids. Look at the eyes…"

Then there was the sound of an air car, and then the Android, who had gotten up and was sweating bullets, laughed hysterically, and fired a blast right at it.

Screams could be heard, as the car was destroyed…

The elder Trunks held his baby self, and Bulma, while Vegeta ranted about finding the Android. Usagi snapped, and did her favored move on him. She kicked him in the balls as well.

Trunks, who was about to come over and ream his father as well, stood still. No mere male wanted to face Usa's wrath at that moment.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU BAKA YAROU? THAT WAS YOUR MATE AND KID!"

Vegeta couldn't answer her at the moment, because he was still on the ground, writhing in pain.

Trunks sweat dropped. He was about to say something, but apparently Usa wasn't finished.

"I didn't exactly like my future daughter, but I would have saved her from being blown up! Great Moon! What kind of a man are you?"

Trunks had to come up from behind her to restrain her from kicking him again.

She turned to slap him, but stopped, when she saw the cutie that he was.

Trunks had a similar reaction. 

"I'm uh, mad at him too, but you don't have to keep, uh, kicking…"

Trunks did not have much experience with girls.

"Tell us, boy," choked his father," about those other androids!"

He did, and before he could get out the warnings about those androids, Vegeta had flown off.

"NO! I won't let my father die!" Trunks had yelled, before he could think about what he had said, and was SSJ, flying after him.

"That was…Trunks," Bulma said, as several things clicked together in her mind. Usagi gave a short laugh. 

"I know how you feel, Bulma, I know how you feel."

Piccolo nodded, and they turned to the direction that they thought the Android, which Bulma had identified as Dr. Gero, was headed.

"We have to stop them before he awakens his other Androids," Piccolo ordered, and everyone agreed, and took off, searching.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bulma and Gohan watched them go.

"I hope they have good luck," she whispered, and bounced her baby absently.

Gohan nodded, biting his lip. He was worried about his dad.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi got there just as Trunks panicked, and sent a blast at the Androids.

"What the hell?"

The fighting was begun.

"Who is that red haired guy?" she asked, looking at the large 16, who seemed oblivious to everything they were doing.

"Juurokogou," said Piccolo, tersely.

Vegeta and Juuhachigou disappeared, and Usagi hoped he wouldn't get killed. She would hate to see Bulma heartbroken like that.

He got thrashed, and as Piccolo tried to fight Juunanagou, he was casually backhanded.

"This can't be happening!" she yelled, as she tried to help her friends. Juunanagou was about to land the finishing blow, when her crystal glowed, and formed a sword. The clang reverbrated throughout the area.

"Who are you?" he asked, shocked that he was being denied his fun.

Usa didn't answer, just stood protectively over Piccolo, and the rest of the Z Senshi, of which only Krillin was standing.

"Well, then, don't answer," he said, and shrugged. Usa moved into a spin kick, and yelled, "Moon Twilight flash!"

The ghostly silver struck the male, but the girl punched Usa in the back, and she made a crater in the cliff she hit.

Juunanagou was knocked on his butt.

"Wow," he said appreciatively. "She's got some potential, and she's pretty too."

"Males, even androids," Juuhachigou muttered, and then looked over at Krillin. He was kind of cute as well…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Did we loose?" asked a voice, and Usagi found herself being pulled free of her stone bed.

"I was just getting comfortable," she mumbled.

A hand gently shook her. Looking up, she was happy to see it was Piccolo.

"Yes," Piccolo rumbled back to the person who had spoken. "we lost, and now there are three Androids out there."

He looked deep in thought, and he took off.

"Piccolo, wait!" Usa yelled, and put out her hand to stop him. He gave her a strange smile, and left.

"What could he be doing?" she asked despairingly, even as Vegeta left, bemoaning that even as a Super Saiya-jin, he had been unable to defeat those tin cans.

Then Krillin grinned hugely.

"He's going to Kami's!"

At the looks the others gave him, he explained about how Kami and Piccolo once being one, and that if they rejoined, they would be the strongest warrior in the universe, even stronger than a SSJ!

Usa's eyes became huge as she listened to this.

Everyone seemed to be going off to find a way to get stronger, or check on Goku, or something, and she just sat there.

"Hey, you coming Usa?" asked Tien, looking at her when she hadn't moved.

"No, I need to think for a while."

Shrugging, the triclops left, and Usa put her chin in her hands, hoping for some inspiration.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She hadn't been all that much more powerful as Sailor Moon, she thought. 

I went through three stages of power already. First prism, then crystal, and now cosmic power; okay, now, what's next?

"I'm more powerful as myself, right now," she said aloud. It was true. She oculd do more, fight harder, and still use the crystal just as plain Usagi, without the dumb costume.

"Under normal circumstances, you would have become Super Sailor Moon, using the Sacred Chalice, then progressed to Eternal," said a familiar, beautiful voice. 

Usagi sprang to her feet, and then fell to her knees.

"You majesty," she whispered softly, and cool fingers cupped her chin.

"My daughter, you know that you no longer have to rely on formalities with me. I am your mother."

Usagi raised her eyes, and looked into the silvery blue of her mother's. She smiled tremulously.

"I know. What do I have to do, to become stronger?"

The Queen of the Moon smiled gently at her daughter. "The power of the Moon flows through you, my child. All you need to do is ask for it. The crystal, the most powerful object in the universe, is at your call. You are powerful enough to handle the strongest of your forms now. You have truly become the Senshi of the Cosmos, yet that is not what is needed here."

The Queen paused, and she frowned gently. "You are not ready for that, though. That is the power of all your warriors combined. Until they have left this plane, you will not have their powers. No," she mused to herself. "You are ready for the other powers of the moon…"

"What other powers?" Usagi asked, alarmed.

"The moon is a symbol of many things. The Dark Moon family came from the side that never saw light. The White Moon was for the side that was full, and shone with holy light, and brought healing. Yet the full moon could also be seen as a symbol of death and destruction. It was not the new moon, however. This was something seen much more rarely. It was…

"The moon eclipsed," Usagi whispered, seeing were this was going. "The Blood Moon."

"The last Princess of the Moon to use that force destroyed herself, because she was unable to control it. It was only when there was no choice, and even I, when the only option was to use the crystal, even though it would mean my death, would not take it. Would you?"

Usagi closed her eyes. Terror at the thought of what she would bring out flooded her…

Then she thought about Gohan, who had died in the future against these creatures, and who could die still. The young man whose life was just beginning, yet had seen hell. Piccolo, who was possibly going to loose his personality to become strong enough to destroy those monsters…

She bowed her head, her decision made.

Raising her eyes to the heavens, she smiled at her mother, and gave her a kiss before she faded away.

"**_MOON ECLIPSED- MAKE UP!_**"

To be continued…


	11. XI

A Special Training XI

** **

Disclaimer: The characters used in this story do not belong to me, they belong to their respective creators, and I make no money from this.

'_This just in, today, strange disappearances from all over Ginger Town…No one has been heard from the area in at least two day… If in the area, and meet said assailant, you might try to distract that person with- _'

_Whoomp_

_(Static)_

The huge, armored green tail extracted itself from the television…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pain-

It was the sharp, brilliant affirmation that you are alive. It was all that filled the world, and what it was made of. It colored the landscape a pulsing red.

Rage; use it. Let it fill your bones, changing you into what you must be-

Death; it was the fate of those who would destroy you.

It is what you bring; it is what you are called for.

Surround them, banish them.

Eclipse them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bulma, Trunks and Gohan had just left the strange site they had found. The giant, revolting exoskeleton was still wet, so it meant that whatever had been birthed from it had to be nearby. 

As Bulma flew off, she heard the report from Ginger Town, about how no one had heard from there for about two days…

Calling to see if Trunks and Gohan had gotten to Master Roshi's, she hoped that they would be up to this new threat…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kami shuddered with terror, as he looked down at his beautiful earth.

"What is it old man?" asked Piccolo, finally rousing from his 'peaceful' meditations. 

"This is it," he whispered; sweat beading on his wrinkled forehead. "This is the evil that I sensed, and asked for help against. This was what Usagi was called for… That which I did not think even Goku could fight…"

"Will you tell me already?" demanded Piccolo, his fists coming up, ready to batter the old god to find out what was going on.

Kami turned to him.

"No."

"NO?" Piccolo roared, and he lunged when Kami stepped back.

"It would be useless to tell you, because when we merge, you will know everything, and it will save you the time of explaining."

Piccolo nodded, and he placed his hand on Kami's chest.

"No, Kami!" said Popo, trying to stop them. He didn't want to loose his old friend!

"Its okay, Mr. Pop. I won't be dying, just changing addresses."

Piccolo hesitated for a moment, thinking about how he wasn't the only one who would be loosing part of himself. Kami would almost be completely submerged.

"Let's get this over with."

Pressing himself forward, Kami screamed in agony, as he was lost to himself, and merged with the son of his other half.

Brilliant white light was everywhere- Popo could not make out the form of either Namek. The yells seemed to meld into one voice, and then all was silent.

There was a spot of ash on the tiles of the Lookout, and the light faded away, leaving a Piccolo that was looking at everything bemusedly, his eyes alight with a strange awe… Then they firmed with purpose, without loosing their look of newness, he walked over to the ledge.

"No longer am I Kami, or Piccolo," he heard the tall alien say softly. "I am a Namek who has long since forgotten his name."

Mr. Popo felt like tears were about to blind him. "Goodbye, Kami."

Then the nameless warrior turned, and gave him a gesture of farewell.

Smiling gently, he said," I…must go."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The nameless warrior once called Piccolo, (the thought crossed his mind that it would make a great name for a human musician, then thought he had been around Usagi too long) dived from the Sanctuary, and he skimmed the ground, flying to the source of the evil.

Ginger Town.

The place was dead. There was nothing left. He could almost here children playing, cars running by, smell food from a nearby restaurant. Yet they were all ghosts. The only things that remained of what must have been a bustling city were the clothing of its citizens, lying there like discarded skins. It was eerie.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Who are you?" Piccolo asked, on the ground, clutching at the withered husk of his left arm.

The creature in front of him was terrifying, even to him. It was radiating ki similar to Goku's, and it would spiral through just about everyone else's that he knew. The frightening part was that some of it was like someone that he had once known… Piccolo.

"Why do you keep calling me Piccolo?" the Namek growled, still holding his arm. 

The creature looked confused, then shrugged. "Since you are defeated anyway, I will tell you who I am," he said, gloating. "I am Cell…"

Piccolo listened, trying to garner any information that would be valuable to the Z fighters. The other piece of this mind was desperately reconstructing his arm.

Then, Cell struck!

Dodging just barely, Piccolo rolled on the ground, tearing his own arm off in the process.

_Clang_

__Cell's scorpion tail was deflected, before it could reach its mark.

"Who the hell are you?" the giant, disgusting insectoid creature asked, pulling back from this newcomer.

Red eyes glowed at him, underneath wild black and silver hair. Her face was frighteningly familiar to Piccolo, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know who she was.

The smirk on her face was of absolute confidence, as she shook back her long braid. On her forehead was a red round gem, held there by a fine gold chain. On both sides of that were symbols of the waxing and waning moon forged of silver. She was clad in red armor, over a black bodysuit, with a black cape flowing from the shoulders. Her crystal sword glinted in the light, seeming to promise death.

"I am the Eclipse," she said in a sinister, coldly quiet tone.

"And that means what?"

"You are going to die."

"Really?"

Cell had no idea who this newcomer was. There was nothing on her in the files, but he wanted to get her out of the way before Piccolo ran.

Striking casually with this tail, he tried to drain her, but he-

Missed?

How could he miss?

Then her sword was parrying every strike he made, denying him even a single blow.

A roar answered the clearing ringing of his tail on the crystal. Turning, Cell was greeted with the sight of Piccolo's arm regenerating, and Krillin and Trunks descending from the clouds. 

He jerked away from his fight, retreating as fast as his wings would let him.

He floated above them, and Eclipse looked up at him, murder in her eyes.

Giving a little speech about how he knew all their techniques, Cell escaped using the 'Solar Flare.'

"Kuso," hissed Eclipse, as she turned her red eyes back to the sky were Cell had been. "Dammit, were did he go?"

"We'll find him, but who are you?" asked Trunks, confused. He hadn't been told about her yet.

Eclipse smiled faintly, as she swung her sword up. "The child of the Blood Moon. I am-" and she screamed, clutching her head.

"My-"

Falling to her knees, Eclipse gave a wail, and writhed, as her clothing became a black gi, her hair turned short and blond, and her eyes back to their normal sapphire blue.

"Usa-chan?" Piccolo asked, trying to get to her side, but Trunks beat him to it.

"Are you okay?"

"I've been better," she hissed, and struggled to her feet.

Trunks slung her arm over his shoulder as she her knees trembled. Piccolo didn't know what to think about that.

"What happened, Usa?" Piccolo asked, looking concerned.

"I needed to get a huge burst of power, quickly. My mother came to me, and she told me that I could possibly use some of the other powers of the Moon. Told me that in the normal course of things, would have become Super Sailor Moon, then become Eternal, before I go Neo Queen. After that is Cosmos. Said that none of them would be helpful now, and that there was a form I could use, because of my training here. I could become the Moon Eclipsed, and use the powers of the blood Moon."

Trunks was completely lost, and Krillin was close to it. Piccolo nodded, though, like it made perfect sense to him.

"I understood why the last Princess to use it destroyed herself. It was better than this headache," she groaned, and Trunks picked her up.

"We need to tell the others, and search for Cell," said Piccolo, and then noticed that Tien was about to arrive.

"You fused with Kami, right?" asked Usa, barely awake.

Piccolo nodded. Krillin's eyes bugged out. 

"You're stronger than a SSJ now!"

Piccolo nodded, and they turned to Tien as he arrived, and they flew away on their respective missions.

~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Usagi shivered, as she remembered what she had become. The Eclipse was more powerful than even the Queen had realized. It was pure rage, madness, and power. 

It wasn't evil. It was too insane to be completely evil. Yet it was so seductive…

It must be akin to what a Super Saiya-jin is like, she thought, remembering how Goku had described the power. I need to learn how to control it.

Not completely aware of who was carrying her, she struggled a bit.

"Hey, Piccolo, where are we?" she asked, and realized it wasn't Piccolo holding her.

Trunks blushed as he looked at her. She was the most beautiful girl that he had ever met, and was having a case of terminal shyness.

Blue eyes met, and Usagi sighed. She knew that look.

"Uh, if you could let me go?"

"Sure…"

He let her float away, as she sighed.

"Thank you. I need to go now."

"Where?"

"To train."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi followed Piccolo's ki back to the island, and found him there with several of the others.

"What's going on? Is Goku all right?"

Yamcha was the one who answered her.

"He's still out of it, and we have been trying to think of a way to strike at Cell all at once, to keep him from getting the other Androids. Vegeta and Trunks have disappeared, both of them saying something about going beyond Super Saiya-jin. Personally, I think they're crazy."

"I don't know, it seems that we all are ascending in some way," she muttered, and looked down. Her broach had changed, and instead of being a red heart, was just perfectly round, red, with a silver crescent on it.

"We're going to look for Cell now," said Tien, who was pointing at a plane. "We'll use that so we can get close to him without flying with our own power.

Nodding, she got in and strapped down. They took off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Woah!" Usagi yelled later, as Goku appeared in front of them.

"Goku, you're all right!" bellowed the overjoyed Krillin, and he tackled the larger man with a hug.

Laughing, he said," I need to get Gohan, so we can train. I know a place where we can get a whole years training in one day!"

Piccolo's eyes snapped open. "The Room of Spirit and Time?"

Goku nodded, and asked," Kamiccolo?"

"No, just call me Piccolo."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"No luck, huh?"

"None," said the disgusted Yamcha. They had been looking for hours, but no luck, and they were running out of fuel.

"Should we go back to Master Roshi's? I mean, we could always watch the news…" suggested Usagi, tired.

They agreed to go back, and Usagi sat in front of the television, watching the news for any updates, while the others went to bed. 

They sprawled around the living room, resting in any open space. 

For hours, it seemed like nothing was going on. Usagi decided that it would someone else's turn to watch, then decided just to leave it on. They were all in the living room anyway. They would hear something.

Piccolo was still meditating, and Usagi wondered if she could use him as a pillow. The look that he had on his face right then was 'do not touch,' so she decided against it.

Leaning against a wall, she heard someone outside, and Piccolo get up to see who it was. Lurching to her feet, she saw-

"The Androids!"

Piccolo flew off with them-

"Like hell!" she yelled, and followed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

By the time Usagi got there, Piccolo and Juunanagou were already in gear. 

"What is this little brat doing here? Oh, yes, I remember her now… She was the one that Juunanagou said was pretty," purred Juuhachigou, who was getting bored watching her brother have all the fun.

"I'm a friend of Piccolo's," Usagi stated, and was puzzled by the lack of response from Juurokogou. He had his hands cupped around a bird, shielding it.

Startled by what she saw, Usagi was kicked before she even knew it.

Wiping blood from her face, she grinned ferally at the blond android.

"Big mistake," she whispered. "**_MOON ECLIPSED, MAKE-UP!_**"

Juuhachigou actually dropped her jaw as the sun seemed to flee, hiding from the blond girl in front of her. Red haze seemed to cloud her vision, and resolved into the visage of a red-eyed beauty with long, wild braided black and silver hair in red armor, with a red gem on her forehead.

"Where do you get your clothes?"

Eclipse didn't answer, she just started beating the living hell out of her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Neither Piccolo nor Eclipse saw Cell arrive, but when he absorbed Juunanagou, they cringed. They had felt his power rise immensely.

They both threw themselves between him and Juuhachigou. 

Cell was taken aback by how the two flesh and blood warriors fought. They mirrored each other beautifully, and Juuhachigou was about to get away. She was being helped by the human, Krillin.

"Damn you!" shouted Cell, as he was blocked by Eclipse, while Piccolo took the offensive.

"Juuhachi!" he yelled, using Juunanagou's voice. "Help me! This is what Gero-sama wanted!"

Juuhachigou turned, hearing her brother's voice. 

This gave Cell the moment he needed, and he absorbed her.

"MwhahaHAHAHAH!" laughed Cell, as he became Perfect.

He beat Piccolo into the dirt, and Eclipse started to overload, seeing what had happen to Piccolo. Her body pulsed with energy, but she couldn't control it!

Insanity raced through her mind, and she started to loose her transformation.

Laughing maniacally, she fell over, tears running down her face from the pain.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Usagi woke up again, she found out what the rest of the world now knew: that Cell was challenging the strongest of the world's fighters to a tournament, to the death, to determine the fate of the world.

"I'm going to fight," she said flatly.

"Yes, but only after you have gone into the Room of Spirit and Time," said Goku, as they met him up on the Lookout.

The place seemed strange without Kami there. She knew that he was a part of Piccolo now, but still, the presence of the old man lingered, like a fading scent.

"When will I get the chance to go in?" she asked, and Goku said," after me and Gohan. You will be going in with Piccolo."

She sighed, then gave an ironic half-smile. "There are worse things than being stuck with Piccolo for a year."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Juurokogou had been broken by Cell after she had passed out, and Bulma was taking the time before the Games to repair him. If he was telling the truth, he was as strong as Cell.

Usagi hoped so. The love of life she had seen in him had been…beautiful. One such as that deserved to live.

When Goku and Gohan came out of the room, she ran to greet them with the others. 

She barely recognized them, their powers had gotten so high!

Then it was her turn to go in. Turning to Piccolo, she growled.

"Let's get to it!"

To be continued!


	12. XII

A Special Training XII

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon do not belong to me, and I make no money from this.

The Room of Spirit and Time was a huge void of dead white.

The air seemed to sear Usagi's lungs as she entered, and there wasn't enough of it. Her lungs struggled to fill.

The only thing that hadn't really bothered her yet was the gravity. She had been constantly wearing weighted clothing, heavier than what she was wearing now.

It went on forever; all that aching emptiness.

"Usa-chan? Are you all right?" Piccolo asked, seeing that she had frozen. She nodded absently, still seeing that emptiness.

"It is disturbing; that is why no one has ever spent more than two days in here at a time. We need to make the most of that."

Then Piccolo attacked her from behind, and defending herself, Usagi found she had other things to worry about than the blank white.

Block, block, open hand strike to the chest-

"MASENKO!"

Kick. Punch. Uppercut. Spear hand strike.

"MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

Round house kick, sweep, jump.

Fist lashing out, hitting the fist about to hit you.

Power up.

Piccolo's energy glowed around him like lightening, cracking the thin air, making it burn.

"MOON COSMIC POWER, MAKE-UP!"

Dive at each other.

Duck, block, hit.

Become stronger.

Piccolo called a halt. Neither knew how long they had been active, until Sailor Moon looked over at the giant hourglass that hung to one side of the entrance. The one on the other side had sand going _up_ it, and this one was where it filled.

"Two months. We've been sparing, without stopping, for two months straight," she said in flat amazement.

Piccolo nodded, and gave a slight smile. "This place has a strange effect on people."

They stood in silence for a few moments, before Piccolo went to find some water, and Usagi dismissed her transformation, and sat down with a thump.

Piccolo emerged from the little building, carrying two water bottled, one of which he tossed to Usagi. She thankfully caught it.

"Why were you only using your Sailor Form? Eclipse is much more powerful."

Usagi looked up from gulping her water. "Because I have no idea what she will do. She _is _much more powerful. So powerful that I'm not sure I can handle her. The thing is, she can fight much better than even my Eternal form. I sense that. I thought about practicing in that, but the costume is even more ridiculous than my usual Sailor Moon one. Granted, with a short skirt, at least I'm not tripping over it, but what about keeping my legs protected? Eternal Sailor Moon has wings! Wings, when I can fly just fine without them! Those will constantly be in my way."

"That is why you need to train as Eclipse, so you can control her," Piccolo pointed out, and Usagi grimaced.

"I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

Piccolo looked at her sharply. "Why?'

"I don't want to hurt you, even in training!"

"You've been holding back against me?" he said in anger.

Usagi nodded, sheepishly.

"How will I get stronger if I don't face a strong opponent?" he barked, glaring.

Usagi scowled back.

"Its your funeral. **_MOON ECLIPSE, MAKE-UP!_**"

Discarding his water bottle, Piccolo grinned at the fiercely beautiful woman in front of him. A challenge at last.

"Good match," Eclipse whispered, at she finished lopping off one of his hands.

Piccolo screamed in pain, sweat dripping off his face.

He had wanted a good fight, and he had gotten it, in spades. He himself was as powerful as a Super Saiya-jin, but Eclipse was something else. She was completely ferocious, and never pulled her blows. She wasn't sparring; she was doing her best to kill him.

He barely managed to twist out of the way of a groin shot, taking the blow to his thigh. To late, he realized this was what she had been aiming for, and his leg gave out from the nerves going dead.

"AHHHH!" he yelled in agony, waiting for the sword to take his head-

"Nooooo!" howled Eclipse, as Usagi abruptly appeared.

"Piccolo," she moaned, and went over to him, were he was trying to fix his hand. His concentration was still skewed from all that had happened.

"Moon healing," she whispered, on her knees, taking the crystal and placing it over his body. "Escalation."

The holy silver white light shone from it, bathing the green man, and his cries of pain ceased.

Without thinking about it, Usagi wrapped her arms around him, and pulled his head to her shoulder. "Don't ever, ever make me to that again!" she hissed.

Piccolo didn't realize that he was resting against her for several minutes, but his mind picked up her soft, pleasant smell, the heat of her body, and the comforting sound of her heartbeat. When he did, he didn't really want to move.

_What is it that I am wanting? I don't understand it this feeling._

Usagi was staring at his mouth. It had been a long time since she had ever thought about kissing someone, but-

Piccolo?

He was an alien! She could almost hear Rei and the others yelling at her.

Then she paused for a second. So am I, technically, she thought.

Piccolo held his breath, and they leaned towards each other.

The kiss was light and tentative, like a fairy's wings against each other's lips.

Then both pulled back, like they had been stung.

They both went back to training, like it had never happened.

"I don't care if it kills me," Usagi whispered softly, to herself. They had maybe a day, it the room, before they had to leave.

"I will control the Eclipse!"

"Did you say something, Usa-chan?"

Piccolo was looking concerned. This expression of confusion, and almost fear, at how she was acting was obvious.

"I need to get all of Eclipse's powers under my control. I just can't figure out how."

Piccolo closed his eyes, deep in thought.

_He's so beautiful when he's like that,_ she noticed, and blushed.

Then Piccolo started to power up. He started scattering shots around the room. Usagi was startled at what he was doing-

Then he started to direct them, at himself.

"What? Piccolo- NO!" she yelled, as blast after blast hit him. Without thought, she dived between them and him, taking blow after blow, until she powered up, screaming her transformation.

For Piccolo, she controlled the power, for the person she loved, she took the pain-

"You did it," he whispered to her, taking her into a hard hug.

"I did, didn't I?" said Eclipse, looking up at him.

They almost kissed again. Almost.

It was time for them to leave the room.

Eclipse walked out of the room, her armor and clothing looking like shambles, as she changed back into Usagi. Piccolo followed as well, his own gi looking far the worse for wear.

"Mr. Piccolo!" exclaimed Gohan, seeing his mentor, and glomping his waist.

"Tomorrow is the Cell Games," Goku said softly, and they looked at each other, solemn. Usagi hugged Goku hard.

"Thank you, my friend," she said softly. He looked surprised.

"For what?"

"For just being my friend."

She gave Gohan the same treatment.

"In case we don't live through tomorrow," she said lightly, and they nodded.

Flying off, she decided she had several other goodbyes to make.

Chi-Chi had been easy, she just dropped in and thanked her. Bulma was harder to find. She was in her lab working on Juurokogou at the time. They smiled briefly at each other as they said their goodbyes, and then she was gone again, after cooing to baby Trunks for a moment.

Usa!" said a voice from behind her, and she turned to see Mirai Trunks floating there, in his Saiya-jin type armor. His hair had grown in the time he had been in the Room of Spirit and Time, and it fell over his shoulders.

_He is so handsome,_ she thought abruptly, wanting nothing more than to touch that hair, kiss those lips, but when she closed her eyes, she saw Piccolo there instead.

They looked at each other in awkward silence for a moment, and descended to the ground.

Night was falling as they spoke, and the brilliant display of colors that night was breathtaking.

He spoke hesitantly.

"If, if we make it through this, do you have any plans?"

Usagi stopped for a moment. And sighed. She had tried her hardest to put off thinking about what would happen next.

"Go home, I suppose."

"Do you, uh, have a boyfriend? I mean, if we survive this, I would like to well, get to know you better…" his blush should have set the grass on fire.

Usagi smiled gently. "My home, I think, is another world, Trunks. I-" she shook her head. "I would like to be your friend. You are a good man, but not whom I want. I'm sorry," she whispered finally, seeing his face fall. She kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"If we survive this, I'll get you a girlfriend, but it can't be me."

Trunks sighed, and walked away, his head down.

"Why didn't you?" asked a voice from behind her, in the bushes. Usagi thought she should have been surprised that he was there, but she wasn't. She hadn't sensed him, but it seemed very natural that he be there.

"Didn't I what?"

"Why didn't you like him, like that?" Piccolo asked again, and walked out so she could see him.

"Oh, as a boyfriend? Because he isn't who I want."

"Why not? He's a Prince, he's human…" Piccolo trailed off, realizing what he had just given away.

"I don't want him, because he's not you," she said, crossing over to him, and putting her arms around his neck. Lifting herself to his face, she placed her lips on his, and pressed gently, running her tongue along his bottom lip.

His mouth opened with a soft moan, and her tongue darted in, tasting his tongue, exploring his sweetness.

Piccolo's arms closed around her, holding her warm weight to him, and held her tightly. His tongue fought back, reclaiming its territory, and forging on to new ones. In her mouth, he wrestled with her tongue, mouths moving against one another.

Her hands found his turban and pushed it off, lightly running over his bald head, and starting to play with his antennae. He sighed deeply against her mouth, and ran his hands up and down her back.

Pulling away suddenly, Usagi grabbed his shoulder pads and cape and pulled it over his head, tossing it away like it were paper. Piccolo made a soft sound in his throat at this, eyes wide.

"What are we doing?" he asked, even as he pulled her back into his arms.

"I'm taking advantage of your inexperience," Usa whispered into his ear, licking it.

"Huh?" he asked, but didn't want an answer. He was enjoying her touches, and reciprocating them too much to care.

He did notice, though, when she placed her hand over the bulge that he hadn't known was in his pants until that moment. Gasping, he felt his hips thrust into her rubbing hand, and he broke their kiss, moaning into this strange, wonderful new feeling.

"Usagi, what are you doing to me?" he whispered, eyes half lidded with pleasure.

"This might be our last night alive," she said into his ear, need for him making her shake. "I want to spend it with the man I fell in love with. I don't care about tomorrow, we do have tonight."

He still didn't get what they were doing, but stopping seemed even worse.

(fade to black)

"Oh, Kami," Usagi exclaimed, aftershocks still running through her. She kissed the huge man on the mouth, and exhaustion started to settle in.

"What was that?" Piccolo asked, never getting his answer earlier, holding her tightly to his chest, and talking into her hair.

"We made love, silly," she giggled, and kissed his nose. Piccolo still looked confused.

"Mated," she clarified.

Understanding dawned, and he looked embarrassed, them chuckled himself.

"I guess being male isn't that bad."

Yawning, and snuggling against his chest, Usagi grinned sleepily. "Neither is being female to your male." Then she was asleep.

Still holding her, he withdrew gently, and lay on his side. There they stayed, throughout he rest of the night.

Next: The Cell Games!


	13. XIII

A Special Training XIII

Disclaimer: I don't make any money off of this story, and I don't own the characters used.

A/N: That all of you so much for all the reviews! Here I am chained, ah, I mean sitting in front of my computer, seeing all the nice things people are saying about this story. Oh, and if you said something bad about it, well, =P. Yes, this will continue even after Usagi has gone home, I'm having too much fun with this to stop there! Sadly, I never was able to watch the Cell Games, so from here it is all whole cloth. It's made up, other than some general things I do know happened. Just warning you.

He waited.

His name was Cell, and people shuddered when they mentioned him. 

On the grounds that he had chosen for his 'Games', he watched as the sun rose, and waited for those that he wanted to kill to arrive.

He licked his lips in anticipation. This would be fun, indeed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi woke up feeling very good. She had no idea, because her first real thought was that she was going to be fighting in the Cell Games, and that she would probably die.

Then she remembered last night, and she found she was wrapped in warm green and pink arms. She didn't regret any of it. If she died, it would be knowing that she had loved someone wonderful, that had grown to love her, as she had fallen in love with him, without any kind of destiny playing into it. Reaching out, she caressed Piccolo's face, and he opened his wonderful obsidian eyes, and they widened with shock when he remembered last night. Then he blushed.

It was interesting to see a blush on a Namek. Basically, his face turned purple.

"We need to get going," Usagi said softly, getting to her feet. She turned to find her clothes, when Piccolo pointed at her, and she was wearing a brilliant white gi, with a black cloak over it. The cloak itself was black, high collared in a Chinese style, with frogs along the shoulder holding it closed. The sash along her waist was also black, and the excess that wasn't around her waist flowed off of her, the wind catching it. Crescent moon earrings finished the look.

Piccolo himself was wearing his usual clothing, looking no different. Smiling at her lover, Usagi turned to go, when she heard Piccolo whispered softly:

"I love you, Usa-hime."

She glomped him, and said into his chest, "I love you too, Piccolo-koi."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So, you are also going to participate in Cell's Tournament?" someone asked, and Usagi turned to see an extremely brave reporter shoving his mike into her face.

"Yes, we plan on killing that monster before he hurts anyone else."

"And who are you, may I ask?" said the very foolish reporter. 

Usa smiled cruelly. "I am the child of the Blood Moon."

He looked at her in confusion, and she turned to look at her opponent, who was staring at her with open hostility.

Son Goku was facing the arena, and was about to jump up, when everyone heard the sound of a helicopter. On it, said 'world champion.'

"Oh, good grief," she heard Gohan say, as he saw who it was.

"Mr. Satan. The guy is a good wrestler, but he is no where even thinking about being on our level."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"I wish I was."

They promptly ignored the guy, as Goku took his turn against Cell. Usagi narrowed her eyes against the sun's glare, seeing him fight. It would be really stupid for them to use their best fighter first off.

"Why is your dad going first?" she asked.

Gohan paused a moment. "He's sure that I'll be the one to win. I don't know why he insisted on going first, though."

Usagi shook her head at his stupidity. "Can I go next?" 

He looked at her like she was crazy.

"Yeah, sure."

The fight with Cell and Goku was fast and furious, and the normal humans watching couldn't make out what was going on.

Watching this, she became sure that she needed to transform…

**_"MOON ECLIPSE, MAKE-UP!_**" she barked, her transformation melting over her, and saw the world through Eclipse's eyes.

Yet she had mastered her, she and the form were one in the same, now.

"How are you doing?" asked a voice to the side, and there was Trunks, his hair the blond of a Super Saiya-jin, and she bowed slightly in acknowledgement.

'Well, thank you," she answered, and reciprocated. 

"I'm okay, I guess," he told her, before giving her a strange look, and inhaling deeply.

"You smell like Piccolo," he accused, and she smirked. 

"So I do."

"Ah, man, how did I loose the most beautiful girl I ever met to an alien?"

Eclipse chuckled. "I promised I help get you a girlfriend, if you really wanted one. Although, my first thought was to take you to my home dimension. That might not be a good idea, because you would be eaten alive."

"What do you mean, are they cannibals or something?" he exclaimed, sounding worried.

Eclipse started laughing. "No, no, I mean that a hunk like you would have so many girls hanging off him that he would have thought he was drowning."

Trunks sweat dropped.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Goku and Cell fought for hours, non-stop. 

Eclipse was getting worried. Cell had to have guessed he couldn't win this, at least at the rate he was going at.

He had to have something up his sleeve, he was acting too confident to do otherwise.

Then, he used his ace. Something-

"Oh, Moon, tell me he is not doing what I think he is doing," Eclipse shuddered as about five Cell jr.'s came out of his butt.

"We have a brawl going!" shouted Piccolo, suddenly, as one of the Cell jr.'s came at him.

Eclipse drew her sword, the Silver Imperium Crystal, and leapt into the air, slashing, then kicking at the tiny little devils.

She could sense Gohan behind her, and could feel the air being torn by the blasts of others. Eclipse saw no reason to hold back. Laughing madly, she plunged in, her sword reveling in destroying the little beasts.

Then…

"Goku?" she yelled, seeing her friend take a lucky hit to the head. Under most circumstances, it wouldn't have hurt him very much, but now, something was different. Blood leaked out of the wound sluggishly.

She didn't know what was so wrong with him, but it was frightening.

Attacking Cell like a berserker, she fought viciously, eyes always searching for his weak points, body moving faster than thought.

It was something that was not conscious, when she found her opening. Blocking high with her left arm, before he could recover, she drove her sword through his armor.

Everyone heard the crunch of crystal shattering his shell. They turned to see him impaled on the sword. Eclipse didn't look victorious, however, as he said something only she could hear. Pure horror paled her face, as she suddenly wrapped her arms around him, in a crushing embrace, and screamed out-

"SAILOR TELEPORT!"

They all looked up, seeing that she wasn't there any more.

There was an explosion, and the moon shattered, fragments scattering out into space.

"No," Gohan whispered in horror, and looked at his mentor for help, denial, something. What he saw were silent tears streaming down him face, despair etched in deep lines.

"What happened, Piccolo? WHAT HAPPENED?"

"I think I know," said a quiet voice from behind him.

It was Juurokogou. 

"If Cell was like us, he had a self destruct mechanism inside him. They are capable to destroying this planet if set off. He must have started his self destruct when he lost."

Gohan was stunned. He couldn't move, couldn't think, could only see his friend Usagi in his mind's eye.

He didn't notice the piece of Cell that survived, and he didn't have time, because the Cell jr.'s were still out there, and…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi never saw the end of the Games, never knew that Goku was killed as well, never finished to know that Gohan had been the person to defeat Cell, by going to Super Saiya-jin level two. She was dead, after all.

Piccolo sat on the edges of the field, mourning. His face was as blank as always, but he wanted to cry out with the agony his heart was in.

"We can bring them back with the Dragon Balls," said Gohan, sitting down beside him.

Gohan was still SSJ2. Trunks had hit that level too, before he had been killed.

Piccolo looked up to see Vegeta mourning as well. Like Piccolo, his face was impassive, but the agony he felt was radiated to anyone who could sense it.

"We can't wish them all back," Piccolo said, without thinking. Gohan broke down into tears, releasing his SSJ forms. Not knowing what else to do, he hugged the boy, and they all cried, mourning those they loved.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"ARISE, ETERNAL SHEN LON!" said Gohan.

**"What is your desire? I will grant you three wishes, no matter what they may be…"**

****"We wish that all those killed because of Cell to be brought back to life."

There were two other wishes made, but Piccolo wasn't listening, because all he was thinking about was his Usa-chan.

All that mattered was that moment after he heard the dragon say, "**Your wishes have been granted…**"

There she was.

Her hair was long again, for some reason, and the dress was white silk, flowing around her like a mist, and she was barefoot. 

Her eyes were closed as she see rose from a seated position, long blond hair flowing loose around her. The golden crescent between her eyes glittered briefly, and her eyes met his joyfully.

"Piccolo!"

His throat refused to work, as he did his best to say something. Mouth open, lips moving, but nothing came out. He didn't know that his expression alone conveyed all that was needed.

Tears of pure awe at what she saw blurred her eyes, as she walked, then ran to him, arms around his neck, kissing without any care as to who saw them.

"I love you Piccolo," she whispered fiercely in his ear.

"My heart is yours, forever," he answered, and they kissed again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They were at the funeral services for Goku.

Gohan was still crying, and Chi-Chi stood stoically by his side, black eyes full.

They stood at the grave, all that had needed to be said, had been. Friends and foes had said their peace.

"He won't be gone forever," Usagi said finally, and they turned to her.

"People like him just can stay dead. There is always too much for them to do. It may not be now, or tomorrow, but it will happen."

Then she walked away.

"I'll see you later, Goku."

Usagi also knew that her time to leave this world was approaching. The feeling in her heart was that of being torn into shreds. The agony was worse than any she had ever known, but duty demanded it of her. Duty was always there, always understood. She had been needed, but now they didn't. Her job was over…

"But I still need you," said Piccolo, seeming to have heard her. Had she spoken aloud?

"I have to go, you know that," she pleaded. She didn't want to go, but after all that had happened, loosing Son, herself and Trunks dying… Princess Serenity still had her duty to her world, and Usagi would always be the one to pay that price.

"I will find you again, one way or another," she told him. He nodded. In this life or the next, they would. The crystal followed the Princess' heart, and always would. They had already said their goodbyes the night before, desperately loving, touching, storing up a lifetime of memories. It was time for her to go.

Her broach opened up, and the crystal floated out. It opened like the petals of a flower, and she stared into it… Being pulled, far, far away, to a place she had once called home.

"I'll miss you, Usa-hime," Piccolo whispered, as she vanished. "I may have trained your body, but you trained my heart."

To be continued!


	14. XIV

A Special Training XIV

Disclaimer: I do not own the copyrighted characters in this story, and I am not making any money from this.

A/N: Would anyone be interested if I drew some pictures to go with this fic? Usagi in her fighting clothes, before Cell, and Eclipse? I could post them on my site, and put the link at the bottom of the chapter. If you are, say so in the review, please. –Larania

Usagi shook her head to clear it, her eyes stinging.

_I can't still be crying, can I?_

She put her hand to her face, touching the dampness there.

_Piccolo wouldn't want you to be acting like this. He would want you to be strong._

__She had returned to her world, to the room she had left that night, over four years ago, now. Usagi wondered how much things had changed while she was gone. Had little spore grown up? Where her parents all right? Her little brother, was he okay?

She had suppressed those questions for a long time, but they bubbled up now, making her dizzy with worry. Nearly tripping over her hair, which was unbound, and back at its original length, below her knees, she ran out of her room, and into the kitchen to announce her return to her family-

And stopped.

They were still at the table where she had left them. Her mother was still getting their dinner ready, her father reading what was left of the paper, and she could hear her brother watching the television. 

Glancing at the calendar, she noticed it was the same one she remembered.

She had arrived back on the same day. Her eyes darted to the clock.

Fifteen minutes. She had been gone four years, and had returned fifteen minutes later.

"Hey, Odango Atama!" shouted a Chibi-Usa, who had just come bounding in with Luna in a strangle hold. 

"Hi Chibi-Usa," she smiled, and picked her up in a hug.

"OOOMPH, what was that about?" she asked, when Usagi put her down. "And what's with the weird clothes?"

Usagi had been wearing her usual black training clothes when she had left, with a white undershirt, wristbands and boots. A black armband was around one arm for mourning her friend Goku, and a waist purse was attached to her sash.

She looked at herself, and realized how strange she would look to anyone who had just seen her.

"I just liked the look. Is there something wrong with it?" she asked little spore.

"Yeah, its WEIRD!"

"You just have no sense of comfort."

Chibi-Usa had been expecting Usagi to freak out, get mad, or something, not stand there, and smile indulgently. She turned to leave.

"Luna," Chibi-Usa whispered to the confused black cat in her arms," is it me, or is Usagi acting weird?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I'm back in the same time," Usagi muttered to herself over and over again. Was it possible that everything she had gone through was some strange dream?

Looking down at her hands, she saw immediate evidence to the contrary. They were still brown, calloused and scarred. Looking into the mirror of her room, she saw that she lacked her old bangs, even if her hair was the same length. She gently lifted herself off the floor, and back down again. 

"I can still fly," she whispered, and chuckled. Sprawling on her soft bed, she looked at her pink fluffy comforter with disgust. 

"I can't believe I liked pink so much."

She rolled onto her belly, and kicked her boots off. Unfortunately, they collided with a wall, and put a hole in the plaster.

"This is ridiculous. What do I do? I mean, look at me! I'm taller, I gained about fifty pounds of muscle, and I'm older!"

Resting her chin in her hands, she remembered the capsules Bulma had given her as a goodbye gift. Opening the small plastic case they were in, she choked when she saw the first one.

"A gravity room! Wow! Thank you, my friend," she whispered.

Not all of the changes were external, she thought absently, still looking through her capsules. While she would always have a certain exuberance, she was wiser, she thought things out, and she had learned the value of tact. There was pain there, as well. She had died, and was resurrected. She had loved, and because of her duty to her home world, she had returned.

Her thoughts strayed to what she would be doing (_back home_, a voice whispered. She shut it up.) Chi-Chi would have been cooking supper, the wonderful smells drifting to their training area. She or Piccolo, Goku or Gohan, would be out searching for wood to heat water for bathing. 

Her comrades. Goku was so much like an older brother that it hurt, and Gohan, she wished was her future child, instead of Little Spore.

I can't kill Little Spore by keeping her from being born, she thought, and sighed. Not liking someone is no reason to deny her life!

Yet, oh, how she missed the silent presence of Piccolo. Half her soul and all her heart had been torn out when she had left. Talking hadn't been necessary around him, just to sit, and feel. 

Her Sailor Senshi wouldn't understand, she reluctantly concluded. They had always seen her as a wimp and crybaby, and despite the fact that she had changed; they wouldn't understand her suddenly abandoning Mamoru for no reason, in their opinion. They were committed to the idea of Crystal Tokyo, which meant that they wouldn't accept her feelings for someone else.

"Besides," she said aloud, absently punching one of her toy bunnies. It disintegrated. "I was almost as besotted with Mamoru as they thought I was. They didn't know that Mamoru didn't think of me as anything but a little girl. I think the only reason he sticks around is Chibi-Usa. They didn't know that I was loosing what I had thought I felt for him. He only wants to be King."

One of the things she had learned from Piccolo other than fighting was swearing. She did so now, in Japanese, English, Namekgo and Saiyago. Vegeta had a lovely vocabulary.

"I never really knew Mamoru. He's not who he was in the Silver Millennium, and I sure as hell aren't Princess Serenity. I am Usagi. That's what matters."

She looked into the mirror again. To tell them, or not?

Her fighting skills would come in useful.

They would be jealous.

She was more powerful than any of them, without transforming.

Transformed, she was The Eclipse, user of the Moon's most dangerous, almost forbidden power. It would give Luna fits. 

"Well, Usa, what do you do? Give them what they want, the helpless princess bunny, or show them that this rabbit has fangs?"

"Who are you talking to?" asked a voice, and Usagi turned to Luna, who was coming in the door.

"Just myself, Luna."

"When did you start wearing your hair like that? Usually you keep it up in your Odangos. It is the royal hairstyle, you know."

Usagi shrugged.

"Chibi-Usa was right, you are acting strangely."

"Excuse me for being myself," Usagi growled, and sat up on the bed. She then shoved Luna off.

"Usagi! What has gotten into you?"

"I don't feel like being shoved around anymore."

Luna gave her a strange look. "Well, I came here to remind you that there is a Senshi meeting in an hour. You had better be there on time, young lady, and dressed properly!"

Picking the small cat up, Usagi looked straight into her eyes.

"There is nothing wrong with my clothes. Now scram, cat!" Usagi, in a fit of viciousness that she hadn't known she possessed, tossed Luna out the door.

"ARRGH! I want to scream!" she bellowed, and looked over at her backpack. Grousing to herself, she picked it up, and started doing her homework.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Throwing down her book in disgust, she looked at the time. The Senshi meeting would be starting in about five minutes. 

Luna had gone earlier, saying that she didn't care how irresponsible Usagi was, that she wasn't going to be late for another meeting. She had been in the middle of a particularly difficult problem right them, and hadn't paid much attention. She felt proud of herself. She had done it all without asking Ami for help.

Smirking, she knew she was going to beat Luna there. It took a good ten minutes to get to Rei's temple on foot. Flying made things so much simpler. 

Opening her window, she sat on the ledge, and threw herself backwards.

Thankful for her black clothing, Usagi grinned, feeling the cool night air make her long gold hair whip around. _Although, that could be a real pain later on…_

__She had been thinking about what she would do, and decided she wouldn't tell them. She would see if they could figure it out.

_"Oh, see, the god of earth from another dimension asked for help, and I gave it to him. I was gone over four years, and fell in love with a green alien…"_

They would see if they could get her to the loony bin after than you could turn around.

If they noticed, and asked what was different about her, she would tell them, but only then. Until then, she would keep her secret. It made life a little more interesting…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She wouldn't have seen if she hadn't been flying, but it was Mamoru. He was sitting on a bench in the park, looking at a very pretty girl, older than she was even now, and she was giggling at something he had said.

Dropping down, Usagi stealthily followed him, but she recognized the direction they were going in. It was Mamoru's apartment.

_Who is that girl? She's not-_

__Usagi had never told her Senshi about the time she had caught Mamoru with someone else. They had just gotten through the time where she had been turning him down, repeatedly for favors. 

"That's not even the same girl," she muttered, and turned to fly away again. How many was he stringing along? 

"Bastard."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Arriving at the Temple, Usagi grumbled loudly to herself. 

"Took you long enough, Odango Atama," said Rei, who was serving tea.

"I'm not in the mood, Rei, so shut your trap."

The other senshi looked at her, like she had grown another head.

The meeting went as expected, with the girls eventually getting into fashion and boy gossip.

Usagi thought she would die of boredom.

"I'm going on home," she told the girls, who looked really confused.

_Geeze, I'm not even hiding my physical changes. Are they that dense?_

__"What's wrong, O- I mean, Usagi?" asked Rei.

"I just feel like we should be talking about something more serious, and I don't feel like listening to gossip."

The girls looked hurt by this, but after all the times they had gotten onto her about growing up, it seemed only fair.

Snorting, she headed home, leaving the girls to talk about nonsense.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Is it me, or is there something different about Usagi-chan?" asked Rei, confused.

"Yeah, she looks different," commented Makoto.

Ami, confused, pulled out her Mercury computer, and started tapping keys. 

"What, do you think you can analyze mood swings, Ami-chan? Its probably just her time of month," Rei suggested, sipping her tea, her face disdainful.

"No, I'm not doing anything to do with Usagi," she stated. "There was a flux in the time space continuum this evening, and I'm trying to track down where it happened."

Looking curious, Minako asked," Any luck?"

Ami shook her head.

"Well, tell us if you find anything."

Then there was a weird beeping.

"There was a powerful energy signature overhead just a few minutes ago, but its gone now."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi woke up at her usual time. At least, usual for the past four years.

The sun wasn't all the way up yet, so it was time for her to do her strength exercises. Pulling out her weighted clothing capsule, she made sure Luna wasn't in the room, and popped it open. Fifty and hundred pound weights went around her arms and ankles, one hundred fifty-pound shirt on her back, along with her usual fifty.

Knuckle one handed push-ups, two hundred of those per hand, then three hundred sit ups, a jog a couple of times around Tokyo, then she might be warmed up…

"One eighty-eight, one eighty-nine," she counted to herself, when Luna pushed open her door.

"USAGI?" she almost shouted, when Usagi leapt to her feet. 

"Don't wake up Chibi-Usa," she hissed, her hand clamped down on her mouth. Luna was shocked at the sheer strength in that hand.

"What are you doing?" Luna asked, trying to keep from loosing her bottom jaw.

"What does it look like?" she shot back, and bared her teeth.

"I spent to much time around Vegeta," she growled to herself. "I'm talking like him, now."

"Who are you talking about?" Luna asked, jumping on Usa's bed.

"A friend of mine with a bad temper," Usagi answered, and felt a little ill. That strange feeling increased into a queasy knot, then she was gagging, and running to the bathroom.

Luna followed Usagi into the bathroom, where she was giving alms to the porcelain god.

"Usagi, are you all right?" she asked, worried.

Usagi shrugged it off. "I guess I ate something that didn't agree with me. Maybe the sushi Mom made, I don't know. I'll be fine."

"You don't want to stay home from school?"

"Why would I do that? I have to sneak out enough anyway," Usagi muttered, and then got up. She was suddenly very thirsty. Snatching a water bottle, she filled it, and went out the door on her run.

"What has gotten into Usagi?" Luna asked herself. "Could it be that the Moon Princess has finally grown up?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Her run was faster than she thought.

"I'm going to have to try running around the country soon," she mumbled, stretching.

"You're back? But you just left?"

"I know, Luna, I know, I'm going to have to start a longer run," she griped, and went to wash.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Usagi?" Luna demanded, only half joking.

"Nothing Luna. Can't I change? I don't always have to be what you want me to be, or what you think I am. I'm actually my own person, you know."

Luna was following her, and barely dodged as Usagi dropped her weighted clothes.

The noise they made caused her to jump.

"Usagi, are you sure nothing is wrong?"

Usagi had washed faster than Luna had ever seen her, was moving faster than anyone she had ever seen, if she had thought about it. Then Usagi was soaking in the tub. 

"You even smell different," Luna said, jumping up to get a good look at her. What she saw made her yowl with shock.

Muscles. Muscles on top of muscles, a washboard stomach, biceps that would have made most men envious, powerful thighs, and well defined calves.

Her skin was brown, nothing like the milky white she had been, and faint scars crisscrossed her body.

Luna passed out, falling into the water with a 'plop'!

"Great, now I'm going to have cat hairs on me."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi was still feeling a little sick and off balance when she got out, fishing out her unconscious cat, and getting dressed. 

Sitting back on her bed, fully clothed, including weighted shirt and armbands under her school uniform, which was stretched tautly over her strong frame.

"I'll just doze for a bit…" she told herself. The next thing she knew, her mother was telling her she would be late!

"OH, KUSO!" she yelled, nearly bringing down the roof.

Chibi-Usa, her eyes wide with shock that her 'mother' would swear like that, sat up. Usagi was already out the door.

"Damn it, damn it," she chanted, and decided that she was going to use her full speed here.

Everyone was shocked when they thought Usagi was on time.

The teacher passed out, and Usagi smiled, smugly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I never knew I could be so thirsty," Usagi grumbled as she went to lunch. Surprising Ami with how she ate, which was polite, for once, she also was drinking glass after glass of water, but wasn't running back and forth to the bathroom.

"You do seem to be very thirsty lately," Ami told her, watching as her friend guzzled down some milk that had come with her lunch. Then her face turned a little green.

"Ami, excuse me," she muttered, and got up, and ran for some bushes. Ami went over to her as she threw up the milk she had just drunk.

"You don't look so good," she told her friend, touching her shoulder. Then her eyes widened, and her grip changed. Ami patted along her arm, feeling the taut muscles there, and her eyes focused on Usagi like she had never seen her before.

"What happened to you?" she asked, taking her friend's hand, and examining it. She now noticed the calluses and the scars, and the strength in them.

"It's a long story, Ami-chan, and I'm not sure you want to hear it," she sighed, and got back up.

"Does it have anything to do with you not wearing your hair the way you used to?"

Usagi self-consciously touched her very long braid, and nodded.

"I'm going to get it cut later. It gets in my way."

Ami looked concerned. "You can tell me, you know. I was your first Senshi, and I promise, I won't tell."

Usagi gripped her friend's shoulder.

"Are you sure about that? It's a very strange one. You may not believe it."

"Do you have proof?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll listen."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi wished she knew how she was going to tell Ami what had happened. In a lot of ways, if she hadn't still had the proofs, she wouldn't believe her own memories.

"I didn't think love could be like that," she whispered to herself, talking to her mirror. Her hand lightly brushed her face at the memory, and her eyes were lost in thought.

"Love isn't just having a boyfriend. It's a partnership, a merging of souls. What I had felt for Endymion in the Moon Kingdom had been a child's crush."

She needed to train some before she talked to Ami. Dressing in her fighting clothes, she looked out the window. No one was looking, so she leapt to the roof, and flew away, looking for a place she could train…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rei sat with Makoto, Minako, Chibi-Usa and Mamoru in her temple, talking about her list of shortcomings that she had come up with about Usagi.

"She's still our Princess," Makoto protested.

"Does she need to be? Things change, Makoto. We need a leader who will take her responsibilities seriously."

"Like you?" answered Makoto, pointedly. At this, she got up and left. Minako hesitated a moment, then also left, leaving Chibi-Usa and Mamoru.

"I agree with you," Mamoru said softly. Rei's eyes lit up as he said this. Maybe he would finally figure out that she was the one for him after all!

Mamoru was still annoyed at how Usagi was freezing him out. If they were meant to be together, why wouldn't she let him sleep with her? His annoyance with her, when he was the person who was always saving her just didn't make any sense to him.

Of course, he also didn't understand that she was much younger, and had wanted to wait. If he had a girl, he wanted a girl. He didn't care about the age. So, he had kept up with his other lady friends. What Usagi didn't know, wouldn't hurt her.

"We need a new leader," Rei stated firmly.

"What about the Crystal?" Chibi-Usa pointed out.

"That's what we have you here for, Princess," Mamoru told her, and they all chuckled to themselves…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Back in the DBZ dimension…

"Your time machine is almost fixed, Trunks," Bulma said to her future son, who was looking at what she had rebuilt for him. 

When he had died, the Hope had been damaged, and had needed to be repaired. It had taken a little while, but it had been done.

Piccolo and Gohan were there, because they wanted to make a trip with him. He had decided that they needed to make a side stop, before he went home.

Using the technology from the Hope, Bulma had built a portal, and she was about to open it.

Pressing the button, a swirl of light burst out of blank space, and Piccolo and Gohan jumped through it, followed by Trunks.

They wanted to check up on an old friend.

To be continued! 


	15. XV

A Special Training XV

Disclaimer: The copyrighted characters mentioned in the story do not belong to me, and I make no money from this at all.

Ami stood nervously on the steps of her friend Usagi's home.

A few days ago she had monitored a strange flux in the space-time continuum. She had mentioned it the other senshi, but she had left out that it had something to do with Usagi. More specifically, it occurred in their friend's bedroom.

It had only been at school the day after that she had noticed the actual physical changes. The night before she hadn't even thought to look, but she could see that the most noticeable was her height. She rivaled Makoto now. Her skin was tanned and weathered, her face holding a maturity that she had only seen on the Guardian of Time's face. 

The hard body beneath those clothes had awed her. The Usagi she had known the day before wouldn't have ever considered exercising. This new warrior that she had become was shocking, to say the least.

"Hello, Ami-chan!" said Usagi, opening the door before she had a chance to knock. Again, this new person surprised her. Her hair, all of it, was soaked with sweat, and she was toweling it dry as she let Ami in. She was wearing a black gi with a white undershirt, and it was worn. That was what surprised her the most. If this were some new fad that Usa had gotten in to, the outfit would be new and clean. This one had sweat stains, mended places, and frayed cuffs.

"Would you like something to eat?" Usagi asked, and Ami declined. She wanted to get this story out of Usagi without her putting it off.

"Come on," she said, and they walked into her room, and Usagi gestured for her to take a seat. Ami did, on the bed, and watched as with frightening grace, Usagi sat on the floor. 

"What happened?" Ami asked, and Usagi didn't say anything for a moment. Then she unbraided her hair, and sat in a meditation pose, while beginning to comb it out.

Then she floated up about three feet.

Ami gaped.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Where are we?" asked a voice, and Trunks took a deep breath. The passage between worlds was not an easy one. In fact, he felt like he had been put through a drier set on 'shake to pieces.'

Turning to the speaker, which was Gohan, he saw that they were in some kind of park. Little did they know, this was a place where there were multiple youma attacks.

"I have no idea, but I think I can make out Usa-chan's ki-" Piccolo answered, pointing," that way."

"Then let's get going," Trunks said, and they started to fly in that direction.

Sadly, the portal had dumped them in a conspicuous place.

"Oh, my god! Someone call the police, those people are flying!"

"That one's green, get the army!

"Someone call Sailor Moon!"

"Is it me, or are people looking at us really funny?" asked Gohan, and he landed, looking at all the people that had started to run from him in a mad panic.

"I think its me that is frightening them," Piccolo said dryly, as several people screamed when he spoke.

"Uh, now what? We don't want to cause a general panic," added Trunks, and they all thought the same thing. It was too late to stop that.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ami had decided that her bottom jaw should have come off a long time ago. 

The story that Usagi had just told her was incredible, and if she hadn't presented her proofs, then she wouldn't have believed it, but it was undeniable. The abilities that Usagi had displayed, the differences that Ami had already noted, and a quick scan from her Mercury computer, along with her visor had confirmed it.

Usagi had been away for four years, at least. This made her at least eighteen. She was extremely powerful now, without her broach.

What Ami didn't know was that her friend had skipped over some parts, such as her relationship to Piccolo, and the Blood Moon. She had added in the part about her dying in the fight with Cell, and that she had changed mentally a great deal.

Ami was still shocked by all of this.

Her scan was still going, because all the energy coming off of Usagi was interfering with the sensors, but it had confirmed that this was her Usagi, not one from another dimension, and that something else was going on with her body-

The beeping of her communicator cut her off.

"Ami here, what is it?" she asked, and Usagi looked over.

"There is this huge green youma in the park, " answered a fuzzy voice. She thought it was one of the Outers, probably Neptune.

"Uranus is getting her butt kicked!"

Ami was about to confirm and go on her way, when she was picked up by Usagi, and they flew as fast as she could go, to the park.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"In the name of Uranus, my guardian high in the heavens, I, the magnificent Sailor Uranus shall punish you for disrupting this lovely day, demon!" shouted Haruka, after shouting her transformation.

She was joined by her love, Neptune.

"I, the Senshi of Elegance, will graciously defeat you!"

Gohan was totally confused by what he saw, because it was two ladies, both dressed in short skirts, saying they were going to fight them. Why? They hadn't done anything!

"Ma'am? What are you talking about?"

"Don't try and fool us, youma. We know what you are, and we will stop you from destroying this beautiful planet. I, Sailor Pluto, will keep this world from harm!"

"I don't even remember Goku giving speeches that corny, do you, Piccolo?" asked Trunks, confused.

"I don't know, before I was hatched, maybe."

"WORLD SHAKING!"

"DEEP SUBMERGE!"

While taken by surprise by those attacks, the Z Senshi had no trouble deflecting them.

"What are these people doing?" asked Gohan, shaking his head. Sure, those attacks would work well against humans, or even Yamcha or Tien, but not them.

"Is it me, or all they relying on is magic?" asked Piccolo, and then snorted as yet another of their attacks bounced off.

"Why you!" shouted Uranus, and she lashed out with her fists. Piccolo blocked easily, his look of contempt and disbelief never shaking.

"Is it me, or do you understand why Usagi never talked about her home?" said Gohan, and he smirked. It was hard to believe a warrior like Usagi had come from this place.

Then two other voices yelled:

"THUNDER DRAGON!"

"CRESCENT BEAM!"

"This must the team that Usagi had been talking about," Piccolo grunted, still deflecting Uranus, who was looking far the worse for wear. Piccolo hadn't landed a blow yet, but was letting the Senshi of Winds wear herself down.

"This is ridiculous!" shouted Trunks, as the Sailor in green started ranting about how he looked like an old boyfriend, and the other one seemed to be staring at him with stars in her eyes.

He backed behind Gohan, remembering what Usagi had said about being eaten alive. Those girls did look hungry, for some reason.

Trunks saw Gohan look up, and there was another speech going on, this one from someone named Mercury, and-

Uranus was falling, after a heel being planted in her face-

By Usagi.

The Sailor Senshi stopped in shock.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You will stop," Usagi said, standing over Uranus, face stern.

"Koneko? What is going on?" she asked, and then Usagi put her hand out.

"These people are our allies, and we will not harm them, or try to, since I doubt that you could," Usagi stated, looking all her warriors in the eye. The shock on their faces was hilarious, but she doubted they would have appreciated the humor.

"Friends? With a youma?" asked Jupiter, confused.

"He's not a youma. Go back to the temple, and I'll explain there," she ordered, and the confused senshi stared at her for a moment. Usagi was grateful that all the civilians had gotten out of the area already, because she wasn't morphed. But then, she didn't need to be.

"Are these some of your friends from the other dimension?" asked Mercury, understanding dawning on her face. Usa nodded.

"Other dimension?" asked several voices.

"I said I would explain later, and I _order_ you back to the temple! Understand?"

The tone she used brooked no argument, and it was one that they had never heard her use before. Stunned, both the Inners and Outers started to leave.

"You will explain this later, right, Usagi?" asked Venus, but she was still eyeing Trunks, who shrank away from the man-eating look on her face.

"Yes, my friend," she told her, and the Sailor Senshi left.

"That was quite a welcome," rumbled Piccolo, before Usagi walked over to him, and put her hand on his face. They gazed at each other for a long moment, lost in their own little world, before Trunks coughed.

He had really hated to break the moment, but he needed to talk to Usagi.

"What was that all about?"

"My Senshi," she started, sounding sarcastic," have an overdeveloped sense of drama."

"I could tell," said Gohan, dryly, when there was a buzzing sound-

A red rose was suddenly embedded in Piccolo's chest, right below the while of his cloak.

"What?" Usagi gasped.

Tuxedo Kamen dropped down, and Usagi heard someone yell:

"BURNING MANDELA!"

Fire engulfed them, but when it dissipated, Tuxedo Kamen started his speech, not having seen who was with those he was fighting.

"PICCOLO!" Usagi shouted, and pulled the rose from his chest. He was bleeding sluggishly.

"Are you okay?" she asked, and her eyes started to search for the one responsible.

"This park is a beautiful place-" began Tuxedo Kamen, but was stopped by Usagi punching him in the face.

"What the hell do you think you were doing, you YAROU!" she screamed at him, starting to cry in rage.

"I- Usako, what is..?"

"I will kill you for hurting him!" she roared, and clenched her fists, spread her feet in preparation for powering up.

"What were you doing with that monster?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, confused.

Rei made the scene, and she started when she saw who was with the monsters.

"Usagi, what is going on?"

"Going on? I'll tell you what is going on! I am going to kill you for hurting Piccolo!"

"Usa, I'm morphed, be reasonable!" Tuxedo Kamen said, his voice condescending. 

Then he was hit with a kick to his groin.

"Usagi?" gasped Sailor Mars, shocked that her usually docile leader would do something like that.

"Rei, I am ordering you to the temple, RIGHT NOW! If you do not go, I will strip you of your powers, and kill you! GO!"

Sailor Mars was trembling. No one spoke to her like that!

"I suggest you get out of here before she changes form," said Trunks, seeing the look on his friend's face. "She can really kick ass then."

"Usagi, they got here late," said Piccolo, his hand over his wound. "They didn't hear you say we are friends. Don't kill them for being late."

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, still worried, but no longer about to cry.

"I'll have a nice scratch."

"Then, lets get to the temple," she told them, and they nodded. Rei and Mamoru watched in shock as the monsters they had come to fight earlier levitated, pausing a few moments to get their bearings. Then Usagi did the same.

"My Kami," breathed Rei, in shock, as the black clad Usagi rose into the air, and gestured for the others to follow. They did.

"Mamo-chan, what just happened?" she asked, breathless.

"I don't know," he said, his blue eyes hard behind his mask. "But I don't think we will be able control Usagi anymore."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Piccolo watched as his love wobbled strangely in the air, and placed her hand over her mouth.

"Are you sure you are all right?" he asked.

"The guy with the rose in his chest asks if I'm all right. Yeah, I'm fine, just a little queasy, is all."

"How did they take your disappearance?" asked Trunks.

"I was only gone for fifteen minutes, here," she whispered, and they all stopped to look at her.

"No way," Gohan said.

Piccolo was confused.

"So, they never knew you were gone?"

"Yes."

"Then…?"

"They still think I'm the exact same person ," she said sourly. "And Mamoru expects me to be his little doll, and cheerleader. I think I want to puke, again."

"Why don't you just tell him to go to hell?" Piccolo asked, annoyed.

"If I did, who would be the king of Crystal Tokyo?"

"Some a lot nicer?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"What is going on, Usagi?" asked an unhappy Mirichu and Haruka when they returned to the temple. Needless to say, except for Ami, the other girls thought that the sight of their leader flying was definitely bizarre.

"I will tell you," she said, and led the way inside. Everyone was there, but Rei and Mamoru. Even Chibi-Usa, and she was staring at Gohan like she had never met a boy before.

"Right," Usagi muttered, and stood between Makoto and Minako and Trunks, who was getting a panicked look on his face.

"I heard a voice, asking for help, a few days ago to you, four years ago to me…" she spun her tale, telling them of her training. 

Piccolo smiled faintly, and could only have told it was a smile if you knew him. His arm itched to wrap itself around her.

"I guess you guys need to talk abut this for a little while," she told the Sailors. They looked at each other, and nodded reluctantly.

"Fine, while you talk, I am going to take my _friends,_" she emphasized the word," out to see Tokyo. We'll come back later."

"Uh, Usagi, Piccolo-san doesn't exactly fit in," pointed out Ami, quietly. Then she brightened. "You told me about this, this afternoon. I know what I think about it. I'll come with you, help you out of trouble," she added shyly.

Usagi smiled, and then looked at Piccolo.

"Disguise power! Make Piccolo blend in!"

She nearly doubled over laughing as she saw what the pen made him wear.

He was dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt that said 'Post boy', and a hat that covered up his antennae.

He looked ridiculous, considering it had left his skin green.

"He looks normal to me," said one of the Senshi.

Usagi shook her head, as he grumpily got up. She did admire the tight jeans, though. He looked really, really good in tight jeans. Even better in nothing at all…

Grinning to herself, followed him out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I know what you meant by being eaten alive," Trunks said, as he rushed out of the temple.

Ami was behind him, and she giggled softly.

"I told you," Usagi said, and Gohan looked a little hunted as well.

"Who was the little pink haired girl, Usagi?" he asked her.

"That was Chibi-Usa, although I like to call her little spore."

"Man, people keep saying I look like my father, but you and her, there is no real doubt who her mother is, is there?"

"I guess not," Usagi said reluctantly. Somewhere in the back of her head, she had hoped that they weren't related.

"She looked at me like I was a piece of meat!"

"Well, now you know why girls don't like it," said Ami tartly, and then looked away.

"I'm not like that now," said Usagi, and sighed. "I grew up enough to appreciate what those feelings actually mean, and how to act on them."

Piccolo smiled at that. Ami's eyes turned huge as he gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and Usagi's spanned his waist.

"I –" she stared, blinked, and kept staring.

"Yeah, I felt the same way," said Trunks, looking at the two, as they walked off together.

"So, this is what she didn't want to tell me," Ami said wistfully. "I can understand. The others wouldn't have accepted it. They all want her to pair with Mamoru."

"Isn't he that jerk who tried to hurt Mr. Piccolo?" asked Gohan, his head to the side.

"Yes, I think I remember her calling that Tuxedo guy that, right?"

"What?" asked Ami, and they told her what had happened.

"Why do they want her to marry him so badly, anyway?"

Ami explained Crystal Tokyo to him. 

"But she doesn't love him, and I could tell he didn't really like her. Why should they make each other miserable because of something that may not happen?"

Ami blinked. He was right.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Is it me, or does it look like we finally got the Usagi that we always said we wanted?" asked Haruka, shaking her head.

Setsuna looked concerned.

"I'm afraid that the timelines have been permanently altered by this," she said in a low voice "I'm not sure what will happen now."

"What do you mean? That everything will be destroyed?" said Chibi-Usa, fearing for the safety of her parents.

"No, I didn't say that." She pursed her lips. "Chibi-Usa, I'm afraid to have to tell you this, but this is not your timeline. You are from an alternate one. While we did save your future, you did so by getting help from a different past." Chibi-Usa gasped.

"So, there is a chance that everything we saw won't happen?" asked Makoto.

"Like I said, I can't tell right now," she smiled faintly. "It would be nice to surprised for once, don't you think?"

The other senshi groaned.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I don't like those people," said Mamoru as they walked up to the temple. Rei nodded. There was something about them that got on her nerves. Probably it was the fact that they treated Usagi like she was a warrior to be feared. As they walked into the room where they usually met, they heard the conversation going on, and Mamoru's eyes narrowed.

"Was it Usagi going to this other dimension that caused it?" asked Chibi-Usa.

"I don't know. It could have been any number of things," said Pluto, still worried.

"Like what? Her finding out that Mamoru wasn't always faithful?" said Minako.

Mamoru went cold as he heard this. If he didn't become King…

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Rei as she entered, and pulled on Mamoru to follow her.

"Sit down, this may take a while," said Makoto. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi tried to keep her elation down, as she pressed against Piccolo's side.

"So this is where you came from?" asked Piccolo, looking around. Usagi nodded.

"The humans are about the same, but some things, like the technology are very different. No weird Androids, no Cell. We have magic here, and energy draining demons, and so far we only had a few aliens. We do the same stuff the Z Senshi do back home, but just against weaker foes."

"Back home," Piccolo said, and looked down at her. "You said back home."

Usagi stopped, and stiffened. "I said back home, didn't I?"

"Yes you did," said Ami, who had finally caught up with them.

Trunks was with them, as was Gohan, and he was eating an ice cream. 

"Is it safe from Chibi-Usa here?" 

Usagi almost fell over laughing. Then her hand went back over her mouth, and she ran for the nearest trash bin. Considering she used her super speed to do this, they didn't know where she had gone for a few moments.

The sound of hurling alerted them.

"Are you sure it is just bad sushi?" asked Piccolo, as he grabbed her waist to help her down from the Dumpster.

Usagi didn't look all that good. She was pale and shaking, and it looked like she was about to pass out.

"I think I'll scan you again," Ami said, and walked over into an alley. Morphing, she used her visor, and with her computer, analyzed that strange reading she had gotten earlier.

Her hand came up to cover her mouth, as she shakily dropped her computer.

"What is it? Am I dying, or something?" she asked, and Piccolo was looking at Ami like he would kill her.

"Um, no, not yet," she answered weakly, and sat down hard.

"Then what is it?"

"Well, she's pregnant," said Ami. This caused Gohan, who was listening, to drop his ice cream. That was logical, because be had fainted.

"I am?" asked Usagi, sounding far more calm than she actually was.

"Yes, and-"

"And WHAT?" asked Piccolo his eyes about to bug out.

"Her uterus is creating an eggshell."

To be continued!


	16. XVI

A Special Training XVI

** **

Disclaimer: The characters mentioned within this series do not belong to me, and I make no money from this at all.

A/N: Gie I don't have a clue what a gargoyle-Namek hybrid would look like. Why don't you try it?

My secret to getting my chapters out as fast as they are it this: I DON'T HAVE A LIFE. My existence consists of writing, going to classes, and sleeping. Eating is optional.

"But, but-" Usagi repeated, bewildered.

"I can't make an eggshell! It has nothing to do with the human anatomy, at least I thought so!"

Mercury nodded, and picked up her computer.

"Could it have something to do with the father? If the infant had special needs…"

Note that Mercury hadn't figured out **precisely** the relationship between her Princess and Piccolo.

Piccolo was frozen still. His face was still its usual mask of non-expression, but this was even more non expressive than usual.

Trunks burst out laughing.

"Congratulations, Piccolo, you are going to be was dad!" said Trunks, slapping the large green man on the back.

Gohan was sitting up. He hadn't known how Piccolo and Usagi felt about each other, and it had never occurred to him that they might be more than friends. This explained his recent faint.

"How? Nameks are asexual!"

"I promised I wouldn't tell, Piccolo," Usagi said, and turned to her lover. Piccolo was staring into empty space, his eyes glazed over. 

"Piccolo?" she asked, and waved her hand in front of his face. This did not get the desired response, as Piccolo slowly toppled to the side.

"Uh, was he supposed to do that?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They decided that since Piccolo was insensible, it would be best to get him to Usagi's house, where they could try and wake him up. 

Usagi picked him up, giggling the whole time, while Trunks picked up Ami, and Gohan flew by himself.

The window was still open in Usagi's room, and as they flew in, Gohan looked at the decorations in amazement.

"I didn't know you liked pink so much, Usa-chan."

"I don't. This was from four years ago, remember?"

"Oh," Gohan said, as he watched her place the unconscious Piccolo on the bed. His feet hung off the end.

"So, Usagi," grinned Trunks in a teasing way," just how did you get pregnant by an asexual alien?"

None of them noticed the two cats that were at the doorway, their eyes wide as plates. Luna and Artemis had not been at the temple earlier to here the story of what had happened to Usagi. So, when Luna had heard voices coming from her Princess' room, she had gone to investigate. It also happened that Artemis was visiting her. So, they had eavesdropped.

"I think your mother would have told you how, Trunks," Usagi said patiently. 

"Nuh-uh, you know what I mean," Trunks continued, even though his face was a brilliant red. Ami was not far behind in blushing, and Gohan positively glowed.

"I promised I wouldn't tell, even if it is a bit redundant now," she answered, and sat beside her lover, and stroked his forehead. Then he decided to wake up.

Looking at her, he said," I had the strangest dream…"

Usagi just smiled at him, and put her hand possessively over her belly.

Piccolo looked like he was about to pass out again.

"You're going to have to tell him how it happened, Piccolo," said Usagi, grinning. "After all, a promise is a promise, and-"

Piccolo growled softly.

"Okay, then we leave it a mystery."

Piccolo growled again, then he blurted out what had happened, and how he happened to be male.

"I didn't realize that you and Usa were so close, Piccolo," said Gohan, sounding disappointed that his best friend wouldn't tell him something that important.

"It was at the end of four years, Gohan," Usagi said, and leaned into Piccolo again. The green giant put his arm around her again. "I was pretty sure we were going to die the next day, and I didn't want to die without Piccolo knowing how I felt…" she trailed off, and looked over at Piccolo, and his eyes held something soft for once. In fact, he looked happy. He picked her up and settled her in his lap gently, and placed his hands over her belly protectively.

He whispered in her ear, so that only she heard. "I felt like that too, but I didn't know what to do about it."

She snorted at him, and got up, because she was suddenly very thirsty again. Racing out for water, she ignored the two cats again.

"Will she be affected by the baby being half Namek?" asked Gohan in concern.

"I don't know… Let me run some more tests first…" answered Mercury, as she flipped open her computer again. Trunks looked over her shoulder at the computer she was using. It was rapidly calculating data that had come in from her visor, and was picking up both magical and mundane energy sources. He was fascinated. After all, he wasn't the child of Bulma Briefs for nothing.

"May I get a skin sample, Piccolo-san?" asked Ami, and Piccolo nodded. This whole thing was confusing him, but he also wanted to know if Usagi would be okay.

Touching his skin to her computer, she got the DNA, and analyzed it.

"What did I miss?" asked Usagi, after running back in with water bottles. She tossed one to Piccolo, Trunks and Gohan, and started gulping from her own.

"Your kind normally reproduce from eggs?" asked Mercury, still tapping rapidly. Piccolo nodded.

"Usually, those eggs are spat up, and it only takes a few moments for them to hatch."

"That was how you were born, right, Mr. Piccolo?" asked Gohan.

Piccolo nodded again.

Usagi was looking worried at the thought of creating an egg. "Humans can't do that," Usagi said. 

"I know," Mercury responded, her expression grave. "When the time comes, we may have to do a caesarian section."

"Usagi!" shouted Luna, finally. "What is going on here?"

The two cats finally decided to interrupt the conversation that was going on, owing to that fact that Luna was about to have an aneurysm. 

"You can't be pregnant! You're supposed marry your Prince, Mamoru! You know that, don't you? If you are pregnant, you can always abort, you know, and forget that this whole mistake ever happened! What about Chibi-Usa, and Crystal Tokyo? You are to be Neo Queen Serenity, and rule the world! This has got to be some sort of dream, a nightmare! I can't believe that I am hearing this…" Luna shouted, eyes crossing as she almost passed out.

Usagi shrieked, and put her arms protectively over her middle. 

"No one, and I mean no one, is going to hurt this baby! I don't care about Crystal Tokyo right now, Luna, I have a thousand years until then. I don't love Mamoru. This is the man I love," she said, and put her hand on Piccolo's shoulder.

"YOU CAN'T LOVE A GREEN ALIEN!"

"I don't recall having to ask your permission, Luna," commented Usagi acidly.

"Isn't Luna what you named your sword?" asked Gohan.

"Asking permission should be irrelevant! You have responsibilities!"

"I'm aware of them, cat. That's why I came back to this universe in the first place. You told me I was supposed to fight evil, that I was needed!"

She paused.

"I guess you trained me too well, because I knew I was no longer needed here. Mamoru didn't need me, because he never loved me in the first place. You had Chibi-Usa, so you had someone," she spat," _responsible_ to use the crystal. The Senshi thought of me as nothing but dead weight, and I never wanted to be the Princess in the first place. So when someone asked for help, I went to help. I went to where I was needed."

"I was no longer needed there, so I came back."

Piccolo looked a little stunned. Usagi hadn't been all that forthcoming about why she had left her home dimension. He never guessed this was it. He wondered if this stupid cat could hear the despair in her voice, the suicidal anguish. 

Trunks also looked shocked. His friend had seemed like such a happy person, but hearing this made him wonder… They should never have let her leave them.

"But, Usagi, you are needed… What about Crystal Tokyo?"

"That is a thousand years in the future, Luna."

"Yes, but we have to make sure it happens!"

"Why? What about Crystal Tokyo is so great that it couldn't be changed?"

Luna sputtered, but she couldn't answer.

"I have a thousand years to decide on that, Luna," Usagi said, suddenly sounding weary. "It is a long time until Chibi-Usa is born. If Mamoru will stop cheating, if the Senshi will accept me as their leader, not a puppet, if I can be needed here, then maybe Crystal Tokyo will happen. Just not yet."

"Um-" said Ami, breaking the heavy silence. "The test results are finished."

Everyone looked expectantly at her.

She wilted a little under the scrutiny, but revived. "The baby will be born in about three months because of her father's blood. With what you said about the Crystal making it possible for Piccolo to become fully male, I think it is also responsible for the egg being formed. Again, the gestation period will be about three months, and at the end of that time, we had better find someone to remove the child, because you can't spit it up, the way a normal Namek child would be, and there is no way that you can birth this egg. Its far too big."

"I would never have-" Piccolo started, when Usagi grinned sardonically.

"I seduced you, remember?"

Piccolo pulled her to him, and hugged her from behind, worry creasing his face. 

:I will never let you go, or come to harm,: Piccolo said into her mind, and she looked at him, surprised.

:Thank you.:

:This is my brat too, you know. I will be there.:

His hands were lightly rubbing her belly, and his sensitive sense of touch let him feel the beginning hardness of the egg inside her.

Usagi shuddered.

"I'm scared," she whispered, and Piccolo hugged her tighter. He had never thought he could act like this, but around Usagi, it didn't matter.

Gohan was grinning like an idiot. Finally! Piccolo had someone to love. He felt so proud of his mentor that he could burst.

"Luna, I wish that you could accept that I am not what I was. I became what I had to be, what you had wanted to be. Don' t blame me that you don't like what came of it."

Luna shivered, because things had taken a sudden shift. She was confused, and the cat didn't like that at all.

"Well, Mr. Green Man, I hope that you take good care of our Princess, because if you don't I will be forced to do something damaging to you," she said coldly, her need to protect the Princess still there.

Piccolo looked surprised. Was Luna accepting this? The cat looked chagrinned.

"I have no real choice, it seems. Will you tell me of all that happened?" asked Luna, her face becoming resigned.

Looking considerably happier, Usagi complied, and curled up in Piccolo's lap.

Far from minding, Piccolo cradled her, and after she was done, the toll of her temper, and her new pregnancy caught up with her, and she fell asleep.

To be continued.


	17. XVII

A Special Training XVII

** **

Disclaimer: The copyrighted characters appearing in this story are not mine, and that is a good thing, because then I would be making lots and lots of money, which I am not, because I am a struggling college student, who should be doing something productive. Heck, no, I gotta write fan fiction!

Piccolo was gently cradling his little phoenix to his chest as she slept, after having told her story of the past several years for about the, ah-

Was it the third, or the fourth time?

He couldn't remember, because they seemed to be repeating it over and over again.

Piccolo smiled as he thought about what he had found out that day. True, a corner of his mind was still freaking out, but it was amazing that his phoenix would be bearing his child.

A shudder that couldn't be stopped ran through his spine. If he somehow hurt her…

They would handle it.

What about being a father? He didn't know anything about that! 

_I'll have Usa-koi to help me._

__Somehow that made everything all right.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Luna was sitting, dazed, after hearing the story they had just told her. Artemis had joined her, and they both wondered what this actually boded for them.

"I wonder… She can't just go and take up where she left off, what will happen when her pregnancy becomes too hard to hide? The other senshi, and Mamoru in particular, are not going to take this lying down. While they will accept that she has changed, I think, that she is in love with an alien will be hard for them to swallow. In fact, I have no idea what Mamoru will do."

"Freak out," Artemis pointed out dryly.

Luna slumped, her ears drooping.

"Now what? If she had not gotten pregnant," and here she glanced pointedly at Piccolo," or agreed to the abortion, she could have fit right back into her old life. Now, the secrecy of the Sailors is in jeopardy."

"Its only three months, Luna," said Mercury, looking over at her sleeping friend.

"What about her parents? It isn't really fair to make her go to school, either. By rights, she is an adult, yet what are her skills? She can fight. In this world, it takes more than that to make a living."

"She could always come back with us," said Piccolo, speaking up. He was stroking Usagi's cheek while she slept. She may have been only a few days along, but she was already showing signs of being pregnant. 

Morning sickness, most noticeably, and cravings for water, since that was what his kind lived off of. Also, was it a slight pooch in her belly that he saw? A faint curving that wasn't there earlier? His fingers brushed there, and he felt a life force that he hadn't noticed before.

His grin, which had faded, sprang back full force. This child was already strong.

He hadn't heard them mention her parents, just continued to hold her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So, Crystal Tokyo won't be happening?" asked Mamoru, nearly panicked.

"I didn't say that either," said Setsuna impatiently. "I just said that the future was permanently altered. Crystal Tokyo could still happen. You could still marry Usagi. I just can't see it. 

"Odango Atama a warrior," sniffed Rei. "That is ridiculous!"

"We saw her fly, Rei," rebuked Makoto.

"A trick, or she has turned against us, and is working with these youma. The Usagi I knew would be too scared to fly!"

"Mercury confirmed it with her computer," added Haruka. Yet, she also looked disbelieving.

"Yes, and Mercury also was the first person she told. If they were youma, who do you think she would take over first? Hmm?" suggested Rei. The other girls were troubled. They had been on the verge of trusting Usagi about her new friends, and her story, when Mamoru and Rei had started poking holes in everything that had been said.

"We should get Koneko here, so she can defend herself," said Michiru, worried.

Mamoru bit the inside of cheek. He didn't want them to get her, because he still needed to get them more suspicious…but he couldn't, because it was the wrong time to keep her out of the loop…

"Fine," said Rei, "I'll call Mercury. She should be with them."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hello?" asked Mercury, answering her communicator. 

"Hey, Ami, could you and Usa come and talk with us now?"

Mercury looked over at the sleeping Usagi.

"Could this wait? Usagi isn't feeling all that good right now."

Rei snorted. "Yes, this is important. Could you wake her highness up? I can guess she must have fallen asleep in front of the TV or something." Mercury would have sworn she heard her flip her hair.

"She's been throwing up all day, Rei," she said sternly. "I'll wake her up, you are the one who she gets made at!"

With a huff, she closed her communicator, and looked over at Piccolo. "I'm afraid that the senshi are wanting to speak to us. Would you mind waking her up?"

Piccolo looked annoyed. "I'll carry her there. She won't need to." He looked fiercely protective at that moment.

Trunks snorted, and picked up Ami. "I guess I'm flying Mercury?"

Ami just put her hands around his neck, and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't like flying. 

"I guess that means I get the cats, huh?" Gohan muttered, and picked up the protesting Luna and Artemis.

They flew there quickly, and Usagi never stirred. The two Saiya-jins and the Namek entered, carrying their passengers, and deposited them on the stairs, except for Piccolo, who still held the tired Usagi.

As they entered, they received a rather frosty greeting.

"Is something wrong?" asked Usagi, from her cocoon in Piccolo's arms. He had yet to let her down. She was so comfortable that way that it didn't occur to her how odd she seemed. Then she looked at the faces of her warriors, and saw disbelief, and outright rage on Mamoru's face. 

She struggled a bit, and Piccolo let her down. 

"What is going on?' she asked.

"Simple, we aren't sure that you are Odango Atama," said Rei, smirking.

"Why not?" Usagi replied in a deadly calm voice.

"Usagi was no warrior, she couldn't really fight," sneered Rei, while the others looked away. While Rei was being rude about it, she was expressing what all of them thought, and feared.

"You're right," Usagi answered, turning to her, face calm as ice.

"Huh?"

"I said, you're right. Before I left, I couldn't fight, but I can now. In fact, I am more powerful than all of you put together."

"WHAT?" asked the others, and Haruka and Mamoru got out their seats, looking shaken.

"I said I am more powerful than all of you. Does that surprise you? I don't need you anymore. I can protect myself now, and-" she hissed suddenly, resentment and anger boiling up," if I am to be the Princess, then by HEAVEN, I will be so on my own terms! I am your leader, and if you are right, your queen, so stop using me like some sort of freaking puppet!"

"Odango would never act like that," said Rei.

"Is that challenge?"

Rei jerked in shock. "I would defeat you in a second, Odango."

Usagi only laughed at her.

"What? I've trained for years in the martial arts! There is no way you can beat me!"

"I'll tell you what, Rei," Usagi said in a silky, menacing voice," I'll let you morph, and heck, you pick anyone you want to help you. I'll defeat you without morphing."

Rei was stumped, and then smirked. "All right, then… I choose Mamoru. Let's see you defeat your 'Mamo-chan'."

Usagi laughed again, this time harder.

"She's not acting like herself," said Trunks, under his breath to Piccolo. Piccolo whispered back," I get the feeling she has been taking a lot of abuse from these people. They always expected her to be someone that she never really was, and now she is going to make them see her on her terms." He grimaced. "Plus, she might be having some mood swings."

Trunks blinked.

Rei and Mamoru were considered two of the better fighters of the Senshi, although Mamoru's powers were a little weak. They both morphed, and Gohan snorted with laughter. They were going to be so surprised…

Usagi flew backwards, out into the courtyard, making them come to her. She hadn't even powered up yet, when she drove a fist into Mar's gut, and kicked behind, snapping Tuxedo Kamen's cane.

The other Sailors, who had hurried out to watched, were stunned speechless.

"She's playing with them," said Piccolo, disapprovingly.

Gohan snorted again, and doubled over. He couldn't help it.

"That's it- FIRE SOUL!"

Usagi didn't even bother to block. The attack hit her, and did not damage at all.

She casually caught the rose flung at her, and tossed it back.

"What?" gasped Tuxedo Kamen, as he felt the draft in his tall black hat. The rose had gone through it.

Then, before they could blink, both Mars and Tuxedo Kamen were on tied together, and where dangling from the archway leading to the Shrine.

Everyone stared in awe.

Usagi looked at the pair, and grinned cockily, and swaggered back to the temple steps. Although halfway there, she suddenly felt sick, and had to stop to throw up.

"Usa-chan?" asked Piccolo, and he went to her, as she dry-heaved.

"This isn't good," Mercury murmured, checking her computer again. "She shouldn't be having this much trouble, so early."

"What are you talking about?" asked Minako.

"Uh, nothing!" she said, developing a huge sweat drop.

Minako had a strange expression on her face, as she turned, but that was lost as she saw Trunks again. It was Mercury's turn to sigh. What chance did she have with a bishonen like Trunks, with girls like Minako and Makoto around?

"Uh, you never told us much about yourself, did you, stud?" said Minako, about to drool.

Trunks looked at her out of the corner of his eye, his face turning a strange shade. Mercury couldn't name it.

"Right, yes," he cleared his throat. "Let's wait on Usagi-chan to get back with Piccolo-san, okay?" He backed up several steps, when he turned, to see Makoto right behind him.

He jumped. _Are those two everywhere?_

__Piccolo was arguing with his lover as they walked back up the steps.

"No, I don't need to be carried anymore," she hissed her annoyance.

"But what about-" Piccolo started to protest, when he saw they were being watched, and stopped.

She continued to shake her head. "I am fine, for right now."

"Usa-chan, your friend," here Minako actually did drool," was about to tell us about where he came from, and what he is doing here. Said he wouldn't until you joined us."

"Don't you think you had better let me get Mamoru-baka and Rei-baka down first?" she said with amusement.

Makoto blinked, and looked at the two protesting warriors tied to the archway.

"Uh- Yeah, okay."

"I'll get them," Piccolo said coldly, annoyed. "You needed to be more careful, Usa-hime."

The Senshi, Inner and Outer, sweat dropped. 

Piccolo did so, easily getting them down, and Tuxedo Kamen protested what Piccolo had called Usagi.

"She is not your princess!" he snapped. "She happens to be my fiancé! We are destined to be married, so hands off!"

Piccolo just dropped him, while Usagi looked amused.

"I hate to tell you this, Mamoru, but I am not yours anymore," Usagi said, her voice harsh.

Mamoru's head whipped around, and Chibi-Usa gasped. 

"But, Usako, we are destined-"

"Screw destiny. You lost your bid the night I found you with another girl, in your _bed,_ with you _on top of her_, after you almost raped me! I forgave you that, thinking you were just lonely, that because I didn't want that kind of relationship. I'm tired of being your little toy, Mamoru. I can fight back now. I am the stronger now, and you will never rule beside me, unless you shape up. The reason, and the only reason, that I came back was because I had a duty here, to have Chibi-Usa. That is all! But this is what I tell you, if you ever do something like what you did before again, you will never be _male_ again, much less King. _I _will be the ruler of Crystal Tokyo. Never, ever think you could do that without me, my _Prince._" 

"You came back for me?" Chibi-Usa whispered, her voice trembling. Usagi had not heard the conversation about Chibi-Usa coming from another time line. She didn't know that what she did wouldn't affect this Chibi-Usa's existence at all.

Piccolo put his hand on Usagi's shoulder, and squeezed.

"I am not the Princess Serenity, Mamoru. She died a thousand years ago. I may have her soul, but everyone gets second chances. I made a mistake with you. I found someone who I truly love, who loves me back, and is the other piece of myself. I grew up, Mamoru."

Mamoru roared with rage, as he headed towards her, about to strike her for saying that. No little girl talked like that to him-

When Usagi stopped his fist in mid-swing.

He stared, as his hand was clamped by an iron vise, and squeezed. He screamed in pain. The other senshi watched, they had been shocked when he had actually tried to hurt Usa, and when she had _not _hurt him earlier.

"Kami," breathed Haruka. "HOW DARE YOU HURT HER?"

"He tried, but didn't, " said Usagi.

"You- are such a little slut, Usagi," he hissed, but fell to the ground as she squeezed harder. 

"Why? Because I can actually love, unlike you, who only take what you want?"

Usagi had a non-expression on her face, one that did Piccolo proud. 

"Usa-koi," Piccolo said softly. "If you are going to kill him, go ahead and do it."

"He's not worth it, koibito," she answered, and the others gasped.

"You fell in love with a green alien?" choked out Minako, the Soldier of Love. She passed out, followed by Mamoru, who couldn't believe he had lost his kingship to Piccolo.

The two lovers looked at each other.

"Was it something I said?"

To be continued.


	18. XVIII

A Special Training XVIII

Disclaimer: Not mine, no money, and I get really, really bored writing the standard disclaimer: Not mine, no money, and I get really, really bored writing the standard disclaimer: Not mine, no money…

The telling of Trunks' story was put off until those that were unconscious could be revived, and Makoto had the foresight to order some pizza, and Usagi raided the temple kitchen for water.

They sat at the table, waiting for the pizza to arrive, and Trunks tried to avoid Makoto, who was taking advantage of Minako being passed out. To fend her off, he engaged Ami in a lengthy and in-depth discussion about computers, while Gohan just ran from Chibi-Usa, who was doing her best to act cute.

After the pizza arrived, they sat at the table, with Trunks using Ami as a barrier against the man hungry girls, and Gohan just groaned, wishing he could avoid Chibi-Usa. Mamoru was sitting next to Rei, his expression odd.

Piccolo was getting bored, as they started the conversation, with Trunks telling how he had come from the future of Piccolo and Gohan's timeline, only his going back in time had altered events so that another time line was created. Chibi-Usa winced at this, like there was something she wanted to say.

Piccolo had heard all this before, and was about to start mediating, when he felt a hand on his leg. Looking down, but only moving his eyes, he saw who it was. Usagi was keeping her face at Trunks, her eyes focused on him, expression like she was totally absorbed in what he was saying, only, one of her hands was caressing his leg under the table. It wandered up his thigh, and was working its way inside.

His eyes nearly went huge when he realized what she was doing. Then he realized the game she was playing. Could he keep a straight face?

Her hand went even further, caressing his crotch, and he could feel himself start to react to her hands. Her fingers were clever, never touching him where he _needed_ it but teasing him in the worst way. He was about to plan his revenge, when she suddenly pulled away.

:_ You know that I'll have to punish you for that,_: he said into her mind.

:_Oh, I'm looking forward to it,_: she replied in the same way, sounding seductive. Piccolo had the sudden vision of himself throwing her onto the table and taking his sweet time torturing her, slowly, with his tongue, when he heard what she was saying.

"…help Trunks," she concluded.

Trunks looked at her in surprise.

"Why?"

"Because you might need backup, baka."

"Usagi, you've done enough. You went to help people that you don't know, and you died because of it. I know that my Androids are weaker than the ones that we fought in Piccolo and Gohan's time. I shouldn't have any trouble."

"You could use help. Things always come up. No plan lasts past the first engagement. I happen to know you, and it wouldn't be helping a stranger, if that is your objection."

The Senshi looked astonished. Then again… This new Usagi wasn't all that different than the old one. While she had been lazy, a wimp, and a whiner, she had helped her friends, and clearly she considered Trunks to be one.

Piccolo looked at his lover, and frowned.

"Are you sure you would want to do this?" he said softly.

She glanced back at him, gave him a half smile, and nodded.

Trunks, however, wasn't done objecting.

"I am not going to risk you in a fight, Usagi. This isn't just about you. I heard Ami say something was wrong, and there is no way am I going to risk your baby!"

The collective gasp from the Sailors could have shattered a building, and then they all stared at her accusingly.

"Usa-chan, how could you not tell us?" asked Makoto, accusingly. "We want to know about your baby!"

Mamoru gasped, and put his hand to his chest, and got up, running from the temple. Rei followed, after looking daggers at Usagi.

Chibi-Usa was more than pale.

"Mommy?" she whispered, and was confused. She knew she was safe, from another time, but this was still frightening.

Usagi smiled at her possible daughter.

"You aren't born for a long time, Chibi-Usa. A long, long time, and Pluto never said anything about what happened between. I could still get with your father, but I have to follow what my heart says. I don't love him, and Piccolo, I do."

"Whoa," said Minako, eyes wide. "You're having a green alien's baby."

"How far along are you? Have you picked out a name yet? When is it due? Hoping for a boy or girl?" said Michiru as fast as she could. Haruka looked at her sadly. They had wanted a child for a long time.

"Boy," said Usa, as Piccolo said, "Girl".

They looked at each other, and Usagi said," Girl," while Piccolo said, "Boy."

"I take it you two don't' know?"

Piccolo and Usagi looked at each other ruefully. They hadn't had much time to talk about the subject.

"We only found out this afternoon," Usagi grumbled.

"So? When are you due?" asked Chibi-Usa impatiently. She rather liked the idea of having a younger (sort of) sibling.

"In about three months," Usagi answered, and the other girls looked aghast.

"How? You should be showing by now!" someone yelled.

"Piccolo's blood means that the baby will mature much faster than a human baby."

The Senshi really didn't know how to react to all of this. It was just too weird.

"Okay," they seemed to collectively mutter.

"I hate to bring this up, you guys," said Minako, still drooling at Trunks. "But where are you boys going to stay?"

Usagi started. She hadn't thought of that yet.

"Well, I guess, I was kind of thinking with me, but I don't think I could explain that to my parents… Wait a minute," she muttered, digging through her belt purse. She pulled out the case that had been given to her by Bulma.

"I think- Yes, I do," Usagi exclaimed in relief. She put the capsule on the table.

"What is it?" asked Ami, looking at the small device.

"It's a capsule house," said Trunks, also looking it over. "I didn't know Mom had given you one."

Usagi nodded, and replied," she also gave me a car, a gravity chamber, and some training equipment. She told me that since I had died helping, that she would help me. I couldn't give them back."

"My mother likes to be generous to her friends; she can afford it," said Trunks, taking the capsule. 

Standing, Usagi looked at her friends, and smiled. "It's getting late, and we have school tomorrow. I'll help these clowns," there was a loud snort," find a place to put the house, and we can talk about this more, later."

Nods all around, and several looked at her thoughtfully. Gesturing for her friends to follow her, Usagi rose into the air, and headed towards and empty area she remembered from a trip to some hot springs.

"Here we are," she told them, and they looked around.

Trunks opened the capsule, and out exploded the house. Trunks and Gohan walked inside, but Piccolo-

He grabbed her around the middle, and started kissing her neck, from behind.

"What are you DOING?" she shrieked, as he refused to lessen his grip.

Carrying her off, he chuckled," Getting revenge for earlier…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Morning always seemed to come too soon, Usagi thought.

She had spent the night with Piccolo, which was no surprise, but the sun was peeking over the horizon, and it was time to train.

Getting up without saying anything to each other, they wordlessly started their exercises, and then began sparring. While it had only been a few days since Usagi had sparred, she felt like it had been forever…

Then, as Piccolo was about to kick at her- He stopped.

"You shouldn't be doing this," he said, pointedly looking at her slightly rounder middle.

"Why? I feel all that bad, just a little queasy."

"That's just it, I don't know what is going on with this, and neither do you. Do you want to hurt the baby by accident?"

Usagi stopped, looking confused. "I need to keep up my training, though. Who will I spar with?"

"You could always use one of your Sailors," he shrugged.

She glared at him. 

"They wouldn't last five minutes," she grunted, and he smiled harshly.

"That would be the point."

Usagi rolled her eyes.

"If you two love birds are done, I do have breakfast finished," called Trunks, and they headed to the capsule house.

Inside was a lot of cold cereal. Usagi sweat dropped. Then she started eating.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Why can't you stay and train with us?" asked Gohan, confused. 

"I have to go to school, " she answered, still eating.

"But aren't you too old?"

Swallowing, she answered," Yes, I am, but they don't know that yet, and my parents don't know about the whole Sailor Senshi business. Keeping a secret identity can be a real pain in the ass."

Those listening nodded solemnly, before Gohan doubled over laughing. "I can't believe those mini skirts! They looked so strange!"

Usagi nodded, and then realized her parents would be worried about her.

"I need to get going, guys," she told them, and tossed a glare at Trunks. "We will discuss what to do about helping you later. Right?"

Trunks grimaced, but agreed.

Taking off, Usagi flew home, and ran to the bathroom. She needed to wash before going to class.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi was about to sprint out the door, when her mother closed it firmly in her face.

"What?" she asked in surprise, as she saw the stern expression her mother was wearing.

"We need to talk, dear," she said, and her father and brother looked up in concern.

"What's wrong?" she asked in worry, and put her hand instinctively over her belly. There was no way that she could have figured it out!

"Isn't there something you should have told us a long time ago?" her mother answered, face sad. "I would like to think that you would have had enough confidence in us, that we would have understood…"

"But, but, it just happened!"

"Really? I'm no fool, sweetheart, I recognized the signs; if you won't tell everyone, then I will."

"NO WAY! Please Mom, don't, Dad will freak out when he finds out!"

"Then you should have told us as soon as it happened! Couldn't you have trusted us with something that important? We are your family, Usagi."

Gulping hard, and remembering that they couldn't actually hurt her, (_but they are my family, I don't want them to reject my baby because its not all human!_) she sat down at the table.

"Well, Usagi, what is it that your mother insists that you tell us?" her father asked, and Shinji, her brother, started chanting," U-SA-GI IS IN TROU-BLE, U-SA-GI IS IN TROU-BLE," in a singsong voice. 

"Quiet, Shinji," their father admonished. "Well, dear, did you do badly on an assignment? Did you sleep through classes again? What?"

"I-" she swallowed again, and looked over at her mother, and her face was unyielding. "I'm pregnant…"

"WHAT?" screamed her family in unison, and face vaulted.

"Mom, isn't that what you were talking about?" Usagi wailed, shaking.

Her father hadn't recovered yet, and the incredulous look on her mother's face was shocking.

"No, I meant that you were Sailor Moon!" she yelled, and her father and brother fell over again.

"Yeah, well, I am that, too," Usagi said in a small voice, suddenly very interested in the table.

"I don't care that you are Sailor Moon," roared her father, as he got up, his face purple. "I want to know who got you pregnant! Was it that Mamoru guy? I knew he was up to no good, how dare he touch me daughter!"

Then he paused. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU'RE SAILOR MOON??"

"Uh, well, um, see, Mamoru isn't the father, and I'm Sailor Moon because a thousand years ago…" she started, in that same meek voice.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi didn't go to school that day, and her father called in sick, so that they could interrogate her. Her pregnancy was soon forgotten, as they listened to her tell them how she had been the Moon Princess, becoming Sailor Moon, and the fight with the Negaverse, and Wiseman.

"This is all too strange, " her poor father said, cradling his head. "Why didn't you tell us before."

"Because Luna said not to, and I believed her. I wish I had, it would have made things a lot easier if you knew where I was disappearing. Still, you would have been in a lot of danger, and I don't want you getting hurt. I can handle battles. I am a warrior. I have been for a long time. You are in danger now. If any of my enemies find out about you, that you know who I am, then you are put in more danger. I don't know if I can handle that."

Her mother, tears in her eyes, reached over to hug her. "Honey, we love you…I wish I hadn't said anything now…"

"Its okay, mother, I know you were worried about me," she answered, and kissed her mom on the cheek.

"What I want to know," said Shinji, mischief in his eyes," is who knocked you up!"

Usagi slapped him, her face impassive.

"Ow, ow, ow! Odango atama, what did you do that for?" he asked, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Do not ever speak so about my mate," she hissed, her aura flickering.

"I would like to know about this guy," said her father said, anger again on his face.

"How old do I look?" she answered, and her father got annoyed.

"Listen, young lady-"

"I am not a child anymore, father," she interrupted. "I went to another dimension for a while. Four years. I learned how to fight, and I died there-"

Her family gasped, even louder than when they found out about Sailor Moon-

"And I came back. I grew up. I fell in love, and we-" she blushed there, and her parents didn't answer, as they just stared.

"How far..?" asked her mother, looking at the slight bulge at her waist.

"About-" she tallied the days in her head. "Four days?"

"Four _days?_"

"Well, see, Piccolo isn't human…"

The entire family passed out, cold. Not just a face vault. Dead to the world.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

All in all, her family was taking things better than they could have. After demanding the complete story of how she was suddenly aged four years, they still had the slight problem of passing out whenever it was mentioned that her lover wasn't human. Her father also had one huge hang-up.

"If he loves you so much, why don't you get married?" he screamed, and she groaned.

"He's an alien, Dad. I don't know of any churches that would marry us, or any religion, for that matter. Maybe Dende…" her face turned thoughtful.

"I demand that you two get married!" her father yelled again, and Usagi just smiled.

"We will, I hope," she answered, and looked at the clock.

"I need to get something to eat, and then have to fly to Rei's temple. We're having a meeting there, about defeating some world killing androids. Marriage plans will have to come after that," she told him, and got up again. 

"Usagi-" her father pleaded, and she sighed.

"This will have to come later, Dad." Then she smiled. "I love you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Usagi arrived, all the others, except Mamoru and Rei were there. 

"Things just got more complicated," she told them, and started with what her parents had found out. Piccolo was just smirking, until she got the part about marriage. Then he looked pole axed.

"So, Usagi, are you going to make an honest man out of Piccolo?" snickered Trunks, and Piccolo wished he could incinerate him with his eyes.

She shrugged. "Only if you want to, Piccolo. That's a big thing, and I don't want a marriage to be rushed."

The Sailors looked at her like she was crazy.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Usagi?" asked Luna, staring at her Princess.

"Yeah, I mean, you used to daydream about the perfect wedding!" exclaimed Minako.

"That was when all I cared about was getting a date," she muttered, annoyed.

Piccolo was fingering his collar, like it was suddenly too tight. Usagi saw that, and sniggered. 

"Piccolo, I won't force you to marry me," she said soothingly. He protested," I _do_, I just never thought about it before-"

The usually calm and unemotional Namek looked very, very traumatized.

"I still think we need to go to your home time line," Usagi said, musingly, ignoring the sweat on Piccolo's face.

"I would like the help," said Trunks. "But, I can't let you get hurt, not when we don't know all that much about what might happen to your kid."

"I wish we had someone who knew about hybrids," said Ami, absently tapping her computer.

"Uh, my mom might-" Trunks said, and then realized what he was implying.

"We could go to your dimension, and have Bulma examine her!" said Gohan, enthusiastically.

"But what about-"

"She'll be fine," said Makoto, seeing this as too good an opportunity to pass up. "She'll have her Senshi to protect her!"

Before Usagi could protest, both Inner and Outer Sailors were nodding, and Setsuna smiled.

"Surely, you did not think to go without us?" she asked, and Usagi sweat dropped.

"Well, I guess we shouldn't have too much trouble. We have two Super Saiya-jins, and a really powerful Namek… Yeah, lets get ready to go."

To be continued!


	19. XIX

A Special Training XIX

** **

Disclaimer: It does not belong to me, and I make no money from this story at all.

A/N: I never knew that people would like this story when I started it. I just wanted to write something strange. If you are wondering, I got the idea, when I was looking through the manga, and saw a picture of Usagi cradling Mamoru in her lap, crying out the Silver Crystal. I wanted to draw her, but I didn't want to draw him. So, I put Piccolo in instead. Ta-da! Inspiration!

By the way, I finished a drawing of Eclipse, and it is at [www.geocities.com/laraniadrake/Eclipse.jpg][1]

Usagi took a deep breath, and looked at the stuff she had packed. Mostly, she had put her training stuff, already in it's capsules, into a bag with a nightgown and her underwear. It would be nice to wear something other than her training uniforms, she thought, and looked through her closet. She wrinkled her nose at all the pink she had, and looked for basic jeans and shirts. 

There wasn't all that much. 

"I hadn't realized I was such a- a fashion victim," she joked to herself, and used a blast of ki to incinerate on particular outfit that suffered from terminal cuteness. 

"Honey?" said her mother, leaning inside her room.

"Yes, mother?" she asked, and turned to her.

"Could we meet this Piccolo?"

Usagi couldn't stop herself from choking right there. Coughing, she looked at her mother like she was crazy. Of course, meeting Piccolo was something that she had never even conceived, much less anticipated.

"Yes, well, you see, Piccolo isn't exactly a people person… He's a great warrior, but he has a bad temper. About the only people who can get along with him are me, my friend Gohan, and his father Goku. Just about everyone else in the other world thought he was some kind of monster." Her eyes hardened at that. "He's _not_, he's a good, kind person, but just has a really think shell. What if Dad goes ballistic on him? He's not likely to take it well… Oh, boy, I wish I was fighting Cell again…"

"What could be so bad? Surely, if he loves you, then we can live with him," her mother said, and Usagi was suddenly reminded of Bulma's mother, who had accepted Vegeta without qualm. Weird.

"I don't know… I guess, before we leave, I think I can get him to come."

Her mother smiled vapidly. "Wonderful!"

"Great Dende, what have I done?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Senshi had everything packed, arrangements made, and Piccolo was floating outside Usagi's window. Cautiously, he entered, wondering what to expect.

"I have never done this before," he told her, and she laughed, sounding nearly hysterical. 

"Neither have I," she said, and took his hand, and led him out.

Piccolo was feeling very odd. He had never been to meet someone's parents, and truth be told, was a little shy around strangers. He had known very few people in his time. In fact, he was about Usagi's age, maybe even younger.

This was forgetting the knowledge he had from both his father and Kami, but all that experience was second hand.

As he walked in, they stared blankly, like they were expecting… Frankly, he didn't want to know what they were expecting, but it wasn't what they saw.

"Cool," he could hear the human boy, presumably Usagi's little brother, say. "My sister is dating a green alien."

Usagi looked like she was about to slap him, when he grabbed her fist. "You know that you don't need to go around killing people who act stupid."

"Yeah, but I don't want to give him the chance to breed."

Piccolo snorted, almost laughing.

Her father, who was either very brave, or very foolish, stood, and introduced himself, and put out his hand. Warily, Piccolo took it, and they shook hands.

"So, Mr. Piccolo, is it? Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you," Piccolo reciprocated. Usagi had mentioned that her father would probably over react, and not to take anything he did personally, he just tended to act that way.

"So, um, how did you meet Usagi?" he asked, trying to make conversation.

_Oh, my Kami, he's trying to be polite._

__He explained how he had met her when she was falling off the Lookout, then had to explain what the Lookout was. Then Usagi's training, which her brother seemed to enjoy no end.

"What do you do for a living?" he asked. It was a normal question, but he wouldn't be happy with the answer.

"I'm a fighter."

"Is that all you do, fight?" he answered, incredulous. "How do you expect to take care of my daughter if that is all you do? What about your child!!!"

Piccolo reared back, trying to keep from putting his hands on his ears to keep that awful noise back.

"Usagi does not need anyone to take care of her," Piccolo said, thinking about the fighting sense. 

"How are you going to send this child to college? What about retirement?" her father demanded, and Piccolo was still confused.

"Father-" Usagi said," Sailor Senshi, particularly me, are practically immortal. I don't know how long Nameks live, but very long. Plus, we aren't likely to die of old age. If we do, it will be fighting, and our child will be a fighter. We hope for peace, but someone has to protect that peace, right?"

Her father stopped his tirade, but still looked like he was about to jump the Namek.

"OH!" wailed her mother. "My little girl is going to die!" 

"Mom-"

"I refuse to let you get yourself hurt, young lady! I don't care if you are the Princess of the Moon, there is no way that I am going to let you do something that would endanger yourself."

Piccolo looking over at the sweat dropping Usagi.

"Makes me glad that I don't have parents."

"Oh!" wailed Usagi's mother again, and she glomped Piccolo. It was his turn to sweat drop. "My future son in law is an orphan!"

She was bawling in his shoulder, and Piccolo was looking severely traumatized.

"COOL! My sister is going to die in a WAR!"

"Shinji-"

"I DEMAND that you keep from getting hurt!"

"We're only going to fight some androids-"

"Yes, but you did end up dying, stopping Cell-"

"Cell won't be activated yet in that timeline!"

"WAH! My baby girl died!"

"I will not stand here and let my daughter go off with a psychotic green monster!"

"He's a NAMEK, Dad, and the son of the former DEMON KING, and-"

"WHAT? You will never marry a demon, young lady-"

"HE"S ALSO THE FORMER GOD OF EARTH!"

Piccolo was standing over in a corner, looking at the mad people running around in this house, wondering how he had gotten himself into this mess.

"Oh. I guess that makes things all right then, doesn't it?" he said.

Piccolo looked over at Usagi, whose face was red from yelling at her parents.

"Anything I might have said about you being crazy, I take back. Compared to them, you are the pinnacle of sanity."

Usagi laughed, shakily. "Tell me about it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi flew back with Piccolo to the capsule house, apologizing profusely.

"I really had hoped that they would act better than that," she said softly, and sighed. While she had harbored vague hopes that Piccolo would want something permanent with her, those hopes pretty much died that night. He may have wanted her, but not the baggage, particularly _that_ baggage, that went with her. Not that she could blame him.

"I wish I could have stayed in your world," she whispered, not realizing that Piccolo had heard her. He flushed, and was glad that she couldn't see his face.

"I never had family, other than Gohan," he said. "I don't know how they were supposed to act. They do love you, though. I could tell. They just seem… overprotective."

"I wish people would figure out that I have grown up. First the Sailors, now my parents…" she sighed deeply, trying to exhale all her problems. "I love you, Piccolo, for you, not something stupid. Please, always be yourself around me."

They had landed, and the Senshi were waiting for them. Trunks had already collapsed the house, and was looking anxiously at the recently transformed Sailor Pluto, holding her time staff.

"Are you ready?" she asked her Princess, who nodded. Her broach opened. They had come up with the plan, earlier, about how they would get there. Pluto would locate the other time line, and Usagi would fuel her opening the Gate, since this was a group jump.

"Okay, you guys, lets go!"

To be continued…

(A/N: This story has been unusual, in how fast I have been getting out the chapters. Sadly, schoolwork has been getting in my way of the important things, like writing, and I may not be as fast as in the past. Sorry, thems the brakes. 

Although, I would like to ask if anyone would do me the honor of drawing some fan art for this story. I haven't had the time to do all the drawing that I would like, and so have only gotten the one up. If you do, email it to me, and I'll put it on my site. Arigato, Larania)

   [1]: http://www.geocities.com/laraniadrake/Eclipse.jpg



	20. XX

A Special Training XX

** **

Disclaimer: The copyrighted characters do not belong to me, and I make no money from this.

Usagi opened her broach, without letting the other Sailor's get a good look at its new design. The perfect silver crystal inside shone brightly, and she stared at it intently, channeling the power into Pluto.

"How are you doing?" asked Pluto, seeing the strain on her Princess' face.

"Fine," she grunted back, and started to power up. Everyone stepped back at the ground underneath her cracked and splintered, shards of rock being tossed into the air. Her crescent moon appeared, and ghostly silver light shone around her.

Gesturing with the staff, Pluto opened the time gate, and they jumped through. Trunks followed, like he was having a hard time making himself go, with Gohan following him. Piccolo was the last, giving her a lingering look before stepping through the portal.

Pluto watched at her Princess and the Namek exchanged a look, and felt very proud.

Then it was their turn, and they walked into a different earth.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hell was the first word that sprang into Usagi's mind. 

Even the devastation that Wiseman had caused was nothing compared to this. A twisting feeling was in her stomach, one that she was pretty sure wasn't morning sickness. Rage, then hatred bled into her heart, sullying what was once pure. She could understand Trunks so well now.

"Where are they?" she asked faintly, looking over at Trunks. The other Sailors were covering their mouths, or crying, or throwing up.

He had closed his eyes, and swallowed visibly.

"You aren't fighting them," he said, blue eyes turned to ice.

"I will punish them," she said flatly, anger turning her eyes red. Blood red. Eclipse red.

"Not today," said Piccolo, from behind her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she turned to face him, and he recoiled.

It was carefully blank, but rage showed in her every line. It was the type of rage that had created Super Saiya-jins, and it was what had made him choose to bond to Kami. He suddenly afraid for the baby.

"Don't," he said softly, feeling her muscles tense for a flight to find the Androids. Then Pluto came over, and she stood in front of her Queen.

"You promised, your majesty."

Taking a shaky breath, Usagi breathed out, and looked at her friends. They were right. Now was not the time. Trunks gestured, and they started walking towards capsule corp.

"What was that about?" asked Piccolo, dropping back to speak with the Keeper of Time.

"Usagi, no matter how she might have changed, is protector of the earth, the entire solar system, even. Seeing any planet that bears that name in ruins, like this, is going to awaken things inside her that are better left sleeping. The moon… has many aspects. She is about to take on the guise of the Mother, part of the full moon. It was representative of a woman in her full bloom of power and beauty, bearing her first child. The other aspects are different. She had been the Maiden, the Moon as it waxes. There are two others, considered the darker, harsher aspects. They are the Crone-"

"And the warrior, the Eclipse," Piccolo finished. Pluto looked startled, then nodded.

Piccolo said nothing more, and caught up with Usagi.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Trunks?" said a voice, inside the building. Usagi recognized it…

Bulma emerged, wiping her hands absently on a grease-stained rag, her blue hair in a bun, looking at the people in front of her building.

"Trunks?" she asked again, this time confused. Usagi couldn't help herself. Here was her friend, or almost friend, looking like worn paper. She had aged well, but despair takes it toll on anyone. 

She ran over, and enveloped the older woman in a hug.

"Who?"

"I'm sorry, Bulma-san, but seeing you like this, after I knew you in the other time-"

"I'm sorry, mother, this is Usagi, she's a friend of mine," Trunks interrupted, and gave his mother a hug as well. She smiled at him, and returned it. 

"Oh, your friend, huh? Like, say, a girlfriend?" she said, and winked, then she noticed the slight bulge in Usagi's middle.

"No," Trunks sighed, and gave her a puppy eyed look. "She's taken, and that's part of the reason we are here."

"We?" asked Mirai Bulma and then noticed the others on her lawn. A large group of girls, two of which were looking at Trunks like a side of beef, another wistfully, (_I might be able to work with that one_) and-

"GOHAN!" she shrieked, seeing the boy. He looked just like he had at eleven. Tears streaming down her face, she ran to him, and hugged him hard. Picking the surprised boy up, she looked teary eyed at Trunks.

"You did it? You saved the other time line?"

"Yes," she heard another familiar, now fondly remembered voice answer. "You should be proud of your son, Bulma."

Then she saw Piccolo. To everyone's shock, as well as her own, she went over and kissed the large green Namek on the cheek.

Then she noticed another aspect of the group dynamic.

Piccolo was standing very close to Usagi, the blond fighter. She had never seen Piccolo act that way around anyone, and suspicions went off in her head. There were another obvious couple- two women in the background, although they looked like they were guarding Usagi.

Strange, she didn't look like she needed much protecting.

"You said there was a reason that you are all here," Bulma said, suddenly all business.

Trunks nodded again. "Usagi came from another universe, because she heard Kami ask for help against the Androids, and Cell. She came to the other Universe, and ended up dying there. She went home after she was wished back, along with me." Here Bulma gasped, and immediately did as all mothers would, and inspected him all over.

Trunks put up with it, because she had been doing this ever since he had been able to fight.

"She went home," he went on," but Piccolo," he looked over at the green giant, who was both blushing and scowling," was so lovesick that that universe's Bulma decided to use the technology from the time machine to open a portal to Usagi's universe. We got there, and found her, and found out that she was pregnant-"

Bulma had heard enough. She passed out cold.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When she woke up she was in her lab- on one of the tables. Usagi was careful not to touch anything, but Ami was in her element, commenting on the genius of the person who had made such things, and raptly taking it all in.

Bulma smiled to herself as she saw the glance Trunks made at her. Oh, yes, there was definitely potential there.

Usagi apparently saw it too, and grinned, her eyes meeting Bulma's, and she nearly laughed aloud. There was a kindred spirit, at least in the matchmaking department.

"What was it that you were needing my help for?" Bulma asked, dispensing with the preliminaries.

"We were needing someone who knew something about human/alien crossbreeds," Usagi stated, looking at Bulma. "I had volunteered to help with Trunks get rid of the androids, they should be no problem now, but-"

Ami took over," we are afraid of the risk involved with this pregnancy. So far as we know, there has never been a human, or should I say, lunarian, hybrid with a Namek, before."

"Considering that the Piccolo I knew was asexual, I should say not."

There was a sigh from a corner, and her eyes were drawn to Piccolo, who had been standing rock still.

"Don't ask; it's a long story."

Bulma nodded. She continued. "What tests have you done? How far along are you?"

Ami pulled out her computer, and in it had all the information at the time.

"Wow," Bulma said, looking at the computer. Oh yes, if Trunks didn't marry her, she would have to disown him.

"So far, it looks like the major problems will be the eggshell. I think we should try to find some way to dissolve it, and have the baby normally. Um…" she pursed her lips, and looked over the data again. "I also think we should get you on different vitamins and minerals as soon as possible. Pregnancy takes a lot of reserves out of a woman, and you will want to start eating a lot more."

Usagi looked sick at that. She hadn't been hungry, just very thirsty, recently, and the thought of eating _a lot_, made her feel even worse.

"You'll need it. You are looking rather wasted."

She did. Usagi, had, in the last few days, had gone from the prime of health, to looking sallow and wan.

"And Piccolo-" 

The giant Namek had been about to go and find food, but stopped when Bulma said his name.

"I would like to see how you are taking all this. Nameks aren't territorial, but they are very protective. I'm not sure it's all cultural, either. You took in Gohan, and while you trained him hard, you always treated him like your offspring, matching what I learned from Dende. There is a practice of fostering that your people have- Well, you are going to be very broody around Usagi. Usagi, prepare to be watched day and night by a very large Namekian guard dog. The community would gather to protect the Namek young, before and after hatching. I wish there were still people who cared about scientific papers," she said to herself. "This one would be so awesome to write!"

Usagi then let out a huge yawn. Before she could say anything, Piccolo was picking her up and taking her to bed. Bulma chuckled.

"I hope that girl knows what she is in for!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~

"Piccolo, I can walk by myself," Usagi said, sounding grumpy.

"You are tired, and you need to eat."

"Piccolo, just because Bulma said that you would be protective doesn't mean that you have to take her this seriously!"

"I'm doing this because I love you, and I know how stubborn you can be," he said, annoyed. "The baby might get hurt if you ignore your body. I won't allow that!"

"Won't _allow?_"

"I love you," he said again, and kissed her gently. Usagi relaxed them, and giggled. 

"I trade a stupid human for you. I don't know if I got the better end of the bargain," she joked, and Piccolo looked hurt.

"What?" she asked, and saw that he quickly masked what he felt.

"Piccolo, I never felt much for Mamoru," she whispered, suddenly realizing what she had said. "All I felt for him was a remnant of a thousand years ago. It was puppy love, a child's crush. I got something much better when I found you," she said, and suddenly kissed his nose in a teasing way. "And, by the way, even if we don't get married, I am never, ever letting you go. You try to run, you will have a mad stalker on your tail in this life, and the next, and next!"

She could feel Piccolo trembling at that statement. He brushed her hair out of her face, and looked at her in wonder at the precious gift she had given him.

She snuggled into his chest. _Okay, I do like it when he gets protective… Particularly because I think I am going to freak out about this whole pregnancy thing._

Like most new mothers, she was terrified, but training had taught her how to hide it. That didn't stop her from thinking, and she had envisioned all sorts of things that could go wrong.

Raging maternal instincts had also combined with her protector's instincts, and would those androids be sorry… You don't mess with a female protecting her cubs. 

Particularly this one.

`*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Eat," ordered Piccolo, and Usagi grimaced. He had carried her to the kitchen, and she was trying to eat some cheese. While she had been picking at that, Piccolo had brought her various vegetables and fruits, and she had nearly choked at the sheer volume.

"I can't eat all that! I'll explode!"

He kept his gaze locked on her, and she hesitantly started in. Her old appetite began to return, and she dug in with more gusto.

Piccolo sighed with relief.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So, where is everyone staying?" asked Trunks, as he escorted the Sailor Senshi around. He had taken half to find rooms, while Bulma had taken the other half. They had been discussing what they would do the next day. He was happy to hear them discussing various types of relief efforts. From what he had seen, they could at least defend themselves against any humans that might attack them. They might be able to keep the androids at bay, if they were in a group.

"Well, Trunks, where is your room?" asked Minako, who was stranding by Makoto. Trunks wondered why he hadn't tried to get the Outers. But then, he had seen the look that Haruka had given his mother. He was happy he only had to deal with girls.

"Not here," he answered, and left them there. He was very happy when he ran into Ami, who was still talking animatedly with his mother.

"Save me!" he yelled, and dived behind her.

"Trunks?" they both asked, and face vaulted.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Piccolo, are you going to carry me to bed?" Usagi asked playfully. She put her arms out.

Piccolo looked her up and down. "Your legs are working fine."

She pouted. "All right then," she said, brightening, "I'll carry _you _to bed!"

"WHAT?"

Piccolo was suddenly being carried in the small arms of his lover, who was kissing him enthusiastically. He submitted, and allowed her to continue, even though he had vague worries about how this might effect-

Then, he really didn't care anymore.

To be continued.


	21. XXI

A Special Training XXI

Disclaimer: The copyrighted characters in this story do not belong to me, and I make no money off of this whatsoever.

There is a part of the night, were it seems like the morning will never come and that you have been awake forever, where everything and anything presents itself to be thought about.

Piccolo didn't know why he was there, right then, curled around his lover, nose buried in her hair. Thoughts were tumbling through this mind too fast for sense to be made, and a part of his mind was asleep still, the part that usually would have kept such thoughts away.

Right now, he was thinking about names. He had been named after his father, but what if this child wasn't a boy? Although, 'Piccolo' could serve as a girl's name, maybe…

He inhaled deeply, pulling in much of her scent, he sighed as he let the breath go, disturbing the golden strands. Warm, tinged with shampoo, sweat and herself, he thought, looking at the cherubic expression on her face. She was sleeping so peacefully, so trustingly. Did he deserve that, or the child?

Kissing her cheek, he felt her stir against him, and her deep blue eyes opened, and fixed on his dark ones. 

"What are you doing awake?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.

"Thinking."

"About?"

"Names."

"Ah, I was wondering about that, too. I have a family tradition about naming the kid Serenity, but that wouldn't work if it was a boy… Although, I have to worn you, having girls first is another tradition."

Piccolo quirked an antenna. "If it's a girl, we name her Serenity, a boy, we name him Piccolo," he suggested, and he felt her nod, more than saw it.

"Okay, but she'll need a nickname. Can't be Serenity too much, drive her nuts."

Piccolo smiled despite himself. Other thoughts and fears surfaced, ones that again, hid themselves during the day.

"How are we going to take care of him, or her?"

"Depends on nature," she said, still on the edge of sleep. "If she is more Namek, she starts training immediately. Not, we see."

"You're taking this so calmly."

"No, never, just three a.m."

"Ah."

He could tell she was going back to sleep, and held her more tightly, she rolled over, and he felt her kiss his chest. He dragged her on top of him, where she curled like a kitten, safe.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi didn't go back to sleep as immediately as Piccolo thought, as she listened to his heartbeat, ear pressed to his chest. His heart was lower than on a human, but it was so strong it could be heard throughout his body.

He heaved a sigh, as he fell back into dreams, and she was almost tossed in the air with the force.

His skin always reminded her of velvet, she thought. It was wonderful to touch; her fingers couldn't get enough of it. Her hand drifted down, and she touched her own belly.

Was it even more swollen?

Tears pricked her eyes, and she could already feel something for the child. It was this wonderful, strange, beautiful person inside her, one that would be different than anyone else. It was scary, and it was wonderful.

Piccolo, she could tell, was already caring for their child. She could also tell, whatever it would be, would be a real Papa's girl or boy. 

Giggling quietly to herself, she wondered why she hadn't done something with Piccolo years before. He was handsome, chiseled, quiet strength…

He was also her best friend.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Piccolo's mind was walking down the paths of what might have been, before he crossed into dreams. The thought of what if he hadn't been male, what if he hadn't met Usagi, and the strange idea of what a female Namek would look like, all blurred and twisted in his thoughts…

_~He had just reached his full height, but his muscles hadn't filled out yet... Guided by his father's last thought of rage and anger towards Son Goku, he trained insanely, using the training methods embedded in his mind, his father's gift to him, and himself, to get revenge._

_He had been running, getting his stamina up, when he hit a strange sandy place. His father's memories of anything other than fighting were vague, so all he thought of was that it was sandy. It was next to water, a lot of water, and it smelled strangely._

_Not thinking much about it, he kept running, and realized he was thirsty._

_Easily solved; with all this water here, he could train here for a long time._

_Running to the edge, he scooped his hands into the waters, reveling in the cool, and brought it too his lips._

_The taste was funny too. Still, water was water, and he swallowed, starting his jog back-_

_About half way there, he started throwing up. The memories he had been given shifted to his conscious mind, and he realized he had just poisoned himself. Laughing bitterly, he knew he had just sentenced himself to die, without realizing it. He had dehydrated himself, what with his training, and not being able to get to fresh water. The extra salts had dried him out. Funny, he was the strongest- or would be the strongest, being on his planet, and his own foolishness had killed him. Asking for help was useless. There was no one there, and they would kill him the moment they saw him, anyway._

_Crying would only waste moisture, which he was running out of, rapidly._

_His eyes shut._

_Then a shadow fell across him, and he looked up, to see a face that was- like his?_

_Strong arms picked him up, and he was flying, before he could say anything. Water, blessed, cool, sweet fresh water, was being poured into his mouth, and he swallowed eagerly._

_His eyes opened long enough to see Prussian blue eyes, skin a paler green than his, with a folded bandanna tied across her (?) forehead. Dark gold hair cascaded down her shoulders, out of a long white cloak, with a hood pulled over her head, casting her face in shadow._

_Then he woke up alone, next to a spring, and assumed he had dreamed the whole thing._

~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Piccolo woke, wondering why he was suddenly remembering that dream, in another dream.

Snuggling against Usagi again, she was an active sleeper; he wondered why that person looked like Usagi.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Trunks yawned, wishing he could have gotten more sleep. He had been awakened every five minutes, or so it seemed with either Minako or Makoto telling him they had a bad dream, and could they share his bed?

He griped to himself, using several word the girls would have blanched to hear, and went to get the two lovebirds so that they could start training. The scene he walked in on was cute, if a little embarrassing.

Neither had on any clothes, and Piccolo was spooning around Usagi, his chin resting on her head, while she hugged his arms to her chest. They were covered in a thin sheet.

Clearing his throat, he woke them, and saw them both blush. Seeing them awake, he headed to the kitchen hoping to meet Ami. They had been discussing various uses of ki, and he had enjoyed seeing the enthusiasm that lit her face whenever she started talking. She had a very expressive face, one that just loved to teach, to explain, and to light up with joy when learning…

Not noticing the turn his thoughts were taking, a bemused Trunks walked back towards the kitchen, still thinking nice things about Ami…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Piccolo found that he still had to goad Usagi into eating. Food just didn't interest her. There must have been something chemical triggering that; he remembered her eating contests with Goku.

They walked into the kitchen, Usagi was starting to waddle, a little, and Piccolo with his usual grace.

Bulma was cooking with the help of Makoto, who was doing a good job, and Minako, who was not. Haruka immediately took her by one arm, and Ami got the other, and they steered her to a particular place setting. Usagi ogled. 

It was piled high with omelets. There were all sorts of juices beside it, and fruits, and several containers of pills, with various Vitamin labels.

"Is this everyone's breakfast?" she asked weakly, and when no one answered, except to try to plunk her down in the chair, she spread her hands helplessly.

"I CAN'T EAT ALL THAT!"

"You can, and you will," said Bulma, looking at her sternly. "You are deficient in lots of what you and your baby needs, from the tests Ami took. The protein is for the developing fetus, and the minerals will go to the shell. We're not going to dissolve it yet, because we don't know what the effect will be. Since Nameks hatch on contact with air, we figure during labor would be the best time. We're working on something so that the minerals will be reabsorbed by your body."

"I wonder if she really is the Usagi we knew," said Minako, jokingly. Gohan chuckled. 

"You're right, I remember her eating more than my Dad."

Usagi sighed, and started into the huge mound of food. She felt guilty about eating all of that, considering how bad things were.

Chewing, and trying to talk, she asked Trunks," So, when do we go against the Androids?"

Suddenly, she was being glared at by everyone in the room.

"Usagi," Trunks said, in a calm, be-nice-to-the-insane-pregnant-lady voice, "YOU ARE NOT GOING TO FIGHT THE ANDROIDS! With Piccolo and Gohan, we shouldn't have any trouble! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

Usagi swallowed her bite, and sighed. "I still want to help."

"Fine, you can help Mom. Just keep from getting hurt!"

Usagi looked around the room for support, but all she got were nods at what Trunks was saying. 

Finishing, Usagi scowled, got up, and stomped off.

"I think she's mad."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_They have a point._

_The Androids can't hurt you._

_They will be destroyed if you intervene or not._

_They must be punished!_

__These thoughts raced through Usagi's mind as she flew rapidly away from Capsule Corporation, and wished she knew what to think. 

Increasing her speed, she took in the damage that had been done to this world.

Rage burned along her veins. She didn't care about what Trunks, or even Piccolo, said. She would punish those beasts.

Now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_"MOON ECLIPSED, MAKE-UP!_"

"You feel that?" asked Trunks, seeing Piccolo suddenly jerk, stopping in mid-kick.

They had felt a sudden energy increase when they had started sparring. Piccolo may not have been as powerful as a level 2 SSJ, but his power was close, and he was a better strategist. Piccolo was mad that they had let Usagi run off by herself, while the girls all assured him that this was something she usually did to let off steam.

He hadn't known that. When the Usagi he knew let off steam, it involved violence to 'bad people.'

Which was what he suspected was going on.

Piccolo let out a truly impressive string of curses, blistering the air around him. Trunks paused to listen, then yelled for help.

Out rushed Gohan, and the Sailors. They were already morphing. The thunderous cry of "MAKE-UP" seemed to rattle the foundations.

"No, there is no way I am taking you all!" said Trunks, who saw them all as a liability. Too late.

"I've located her," said Ami, and Pluto nodded, and created a portal. The girls stepped through.

"Ah, KUSO!" yelled Trunks, as they disappeared, the portal shutting behind them, before he could step through.

"We can still sense her," said Piccolo, and he was gone.

"We get clean up," said Gohan, going SSJ. Trunks did the same, and they left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Juunana looked at the destruction he had wrought. 

Sadly, stuff like this was getting more and more boring. It was sad that there were so few humans left to play with…

"You are so rough with your toys, Juunana," said Juuhachigou, face bland and bored as always. There was nothing there, no humor, and no life, just boredom.

"Yes, I had better be more careful, they die so easily…" he sighed, and absently aimed behind him to kill the one that almost got away, a wounded child, who had lost his family-

When it was deflected back at him.

"What?" he asked, and turned with Juuhachi to see what this new nuisance was.

"Well, this one is more colorful than some that I remember," said Juuhachi, amusement starting to color her tone. 

The warrior stood between them and the boy, and was looking at the dead and dying in the area with blood red, maniacal eyes.

"Moon Healing Escalation," she whispered, bringing those that had been wounded beyond hope back from the brink, and the newly dead back to life and health.

"You, you just ruined all our fun!" said Juuhachi, surprised.

Juunana smirked. "I guess we get to kill them all over again. Thank you, Miss..?"

"I will kill you," she said quietly, and launched into an attack, her sword slashing up, catching Juunana in the thigh, and cutting his hamstring.

"What? How? I am the strongest fighter," he said in a choked whisper. Juuhachi attacked, and was blocked by a fist to her face before she got there.

"For the evils you have done, the deaths, you will be called to account for. I am the Child of the Blood Moon, the harbinger of your end."

Juunana couldn't believe how deeply that cut had gone. He didn't think there were any materials on earth that could wound him! Growling, he aimed an energy blast at the humans that were still running away, but was blocked by that girl, who was suddenly between them and him.

"So, you want to protect the humans? Why?"

She said nothing else, just looked at him with those unnerving red eyes.

"You can't save them all," whispered Juuhachi, sinisterly. 

Then, she and Juunana flew off in opposite directions.

"NO!" she screamed, as a portal suddenly opened, and the Senshi emerged.

"Who are you?" they asked, shocked.

"I am the Eclipse," she answered in the frighteningly quiet voice. Turning, she flew into the air, the turned again.

"Help the people still here, they are in need of it."

A scant second after she left, Piccolo arrived, and on his heels were Trunks and Gohan. They stared the recently resurrected people. The only person they knew of who could do that was either the Eternal Dragon, or-

"Usagi did this."

"No, she wasn't here, the Mercury computer must have malfunctioned," said Mercury, her visor on and again tapping keys.

"We saw some chick with black and white hair fly off, though," added Makoto, cracking her knuckles. Trunks paled.

"That _was_ Usagi, she was using her Eclipse transformation," said Piccolo, and heard several gasps from the Outers.

"Eclipse?" echoed from the Inners, who had never heard of it.

"It was something that had been forgotten, for the most part, the Warrior aspect of the White Moon family," said Pluto, calmly, although her eyes were strained."It was thought to be uncontrollable."

"Usagi managed it," Piccolo said, his voice betraying his pride in her. 

Gohan nodded. "Using it, she technically defeated Cell, when he decided to use his self detonation. He was going to take everyone with him. Then, Eclipse grabbed him, and teleported away."

"How did she learn to control it?" asked Haruka, curiously. "The myths said it couldn't be done."

Setsuna suddenly smiled. "When someone she loves is in danger, we already have seen that Usagi can to amazing things," she said wisely, and looked at Piccolo. 

Piccolo wanted to flinch when all those eyes landed on him. "When we were training in the Room of Spirit and Time, we had maybe a day left, and she said she would die trying to control it. I used a scatter shot, let her think they were going at her, then directed them at myself."

"And Usagi used her powers to save you," said Minako, grinning.

"You didn't tell me that," said Gohan, annoyed.

"It was personal," Piccolo replied. "We need to find her, right now!" Piccolo took off, following the sense of her in his mind.

Pluto opened a portal, and the others followed, wondering what was happening to their princess.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Eclipse had cornered Juuhachigou in a canyon, a couple hundred miles from where they started.

"You will die," she said again, looking into the Android's face. There was real fear there, now.

"NO!" she yelled back, and Eclipse blocked casually.

"Is this the best you can do?" she laughed coldly. 

Juuhachigou was about to answer, when "MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

The female android's body flew apart into pieces.

Eclipse was shaking, her eyes focused on the dead creature in front of her. They widened, and a strange feeling traveled down her spine.

She threw her head back, and began to laugh.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Piccolo was not having any luck finding Usagi. Apparently, she was masking her ki- although why, he had no idea.

Though, he did find-

"Juunanagou," he stated, voice dripping venom.

He had gone through with this promise, and was trying to kill as many humans as possible. 

"YOU?" exclaimed Juunanagou, shocked. "I KILLED you."

"So you did. Some things just don't stay that way."

"WHAT?"

Piccolo launched into an attack, using his Masenko.

Deflecting that, he was unprepared for Piccolo's second attack, a fist.

"How? How are you doing this? I am the strongest fighter ever! No flesh creature should be able to do this!"

They attacked each other full force, fists and feet blurring with the occasion energy attack.

Piccolo saw an opening- 

He took it, and kneed the Android in the gut. Blood, or something like it, gushed from his mouth.

"You are an abomination. I know that you are as much a victim of Dr. Gero as anyone that you have killed, but it is too late for you now. You are too stained with blood."

Piccolo raised his hand to deliver the coup de grace, when his wrist was grabbed. Turning to see what it was, he gasped:

"YOU!"

To be continued!


	22. XXII

A Special Training XXII

** **

Disclaimer: Not mine, no money made.

The Sailors were worried, when the portal left then at the top of the cliff, looking down at Eclipse. She was just standing there, laughing. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"**YOU!**" shouted Piccolo, looking at the person holding his wrist.

"Go, Piccolo. Eclipse needs you right now," said the figure.

"What about him?" he asked, gesturing with his chin, eyes focused on the evil Android.

"He will be punished."

Piccolo didn't waste any more time. He flew away, with a quick glance behind him. _I can't believe… How is that possible?_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Juunanagou looked at the person standing in front of him, confused.

"Why did you save me? To be your executioner?"

There was a soft, menacing laugh from the figure, and a hand moved, flinging her cloak away. It shattered several of the rocks it collided with.

Juunanagou got a good look at the woman standing there. Tall; her eyes would be level with Piccolo's chin, green skin, gold hair, with a bandanna around her forehead. Sharply pointed ears and cobalt blue eyes. 

"Hardly," was the soft answer. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Piccolo flew as fast as he could, trying to get to where he needed to go.

"Eclipse?" he yelled, as soon as he felt her power signature. She was floating up over her Senshi, a murderous look in her eyes.

"Get down!" yelled someone, as Eclipse fired a Masenko at them.

Trunks had arrived, and was shocked by the destruction he had seen in front of him.

Eclipse wasn't really looking at them, he realized. She was lashing out blindly, and he wondered which internal demons she was fighting now.

Eclipse knew that she had to destroy her enemy. But who was her enemy? Any who would harm her, or her child-

That meant she had to kill them.

"Who is 'them'?" she asked, under her breath, as she continued her attack.

"Eclipse, what are you doing?" yelled a voice. Should she have recognized it? She didn't know…

Others were yelling also, and she wondered what the words meant. She fired at them absently, trying to get them to shut up while she thought.

"I have to keep them from being hurt," she said, her mind somewhere else. "Who is it that I don't want to hurt?"

Seeing the Senshi again, she was about to send a Twilight Flash at them, when she heard a familiar voice order," STOP!"  
She turned to look. 

It was Piccolo.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Stop (cough) playing with me!" shouted the Android, as the green woman stalked towards him, like a cat toying with a mouse.

"I'm just being rough with the little mousy," she said, smiling coldly.

Juunangou was in a large crater, hacking his lungs out, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, struggling to understand how this had happened. He had been the most powerful warrior yesterday. Now, he had been beaten by three warriors, one he had already killed, and the other two women!

Scrambling to his feet, he did the only thing he could think to do.

"Please, please don't kill me!" he begged, on his knees.

"How many people pleaded with you for their lives, Android? How many did you spare when they did?"

It was clear that he wasn't going to be able to get out of this that way.

Climbing to his feet, he commented," I thought all you good guys went in for mercy."

"You killed all the good guys."

Juunanagou had heard enough. He flew like he was being chased by the hounds of hell. 

At that thought, the stranger smirked. 

"He's right, he is."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Usagi," Piccolo said, getting the red-eyed girl's attention.

"Piccolo? She asked hesitantly, like she had said his name for the first time.

"It's me, Usagi," he said softly, and put out his hand.

"They will hurt- I know they will," she whispered, looking around, at her Senshi, and at something only she could see.

"Who will?" he asked, as she carefully placed her hand in his.

"Them, they'll hurt the baby," she continued, not hearing him. "I have to destroy them. Androids, Sailors, I don't know how many others- I have to destroy them, or it will never be safe!"

"They aren't going to hurt our baby, Usagi," Piccolo said gently. "I would die first."

Piccolo was rubbing her hand, trying to get through to her. She whimpered softly, and went towards him. He drew her into his arms, as she shook. 

Everyone turned, and took defensive stances as they heard a loud crashing, and the wounded and terrified Juunanagou arrived on the scene.

He laughed hysterically, when he saw who was there. Trunks snarled, and drew his sword. The android was about to say something, when a foot connected with his face, and he was sent flying into a rock outcrop.

An evil chuckle issued from the owner of the foot, and they saw her. Piccolo growled, still confused by the mystery this woman presented. Eclipse stared, trying to place her, wondering why she seemed so familiar, while the Sailors gaped. Trunks gasped, and something clicked in his mind.

The woman flew over to where Juunana was struggling to free himself of his rock bed, and yanked him to his feet.

"Trunks," she said," I believe the honors should go to you."

The demi-Saiya-jin looked at the monster that had tormented his life and world for so long. He was a mess. Oily liquid was running from his mouth and nose, one of his eyes was gone, and he could tell he couldn't move much. It was a pitiful sight.

"The coup de grace?"

The woman nodded, and tossed the Android at Trunks' feet.

Powering up, he became SSJ2, and the Senshi turned away. They didn't want to see this.

"FINAL FLASH!"

They heard the massive explosion, could feel the heated air blowing from it, and heard the last squawk that the Android uttered. 

"Did he have to kill him?" asked Ami, her face turning slightly green. Usagi had watched the whole thing, and turned to her friend.

"Yes, he did. There was no redemption for him. I saw the destruction he caused. It was awful. I couldn't let them live, I had to stop them, and they would have hurt more people."

Ami made a soft noise in her throat, as it was finally hammered home how much her leader had changed. Gone was the once innocent girl-child she had been. Now was a wiser, battle-honed warrior, one that knew the prices of fighting, and was willing to take that cost on her soul.

She shivered.

Then she turned to see who this newcomer was. Her face held an expression of satisfaction, like she was seeing something that finally had to be done, distasteful as it was.

Trunks flew back, powering down.

"Who are you?" Ami asked, and went over to the girl. 

She probably wasn't much older than Ami, she decided. She held herself like a warrior, and from her earlier performance, it was obvious that she was. Her blue gi flapped in the wind, with a lighter blue sash tied around the waist, the extra length hanging from a knot on the side. Dark gold hair, with lighter streaks that came from being in the sun often was back by her bandanna and loose braid. Suddenly it came to Ami who she reminded her of. Looking back and forth, her eyes widened, as her fist covered her mouth.

Trunks landed beside her.

"Is she who I think she is?" he asked.

The girl was looking at Piccolo and Usagi, a faint smile curving her lips. 

"I think so."

Trunks nodded, and his lips tightened into a line, and then smirked. Walking over, he tapped her shoulder, and when she turned, he yanked off the bandanna from her head. Underneath was an up-tilted crescent moon, shining gold.

Ami gave a frightened smile. "Nice to meet you, Serenity."

The girl snorted. "Congratulations, Trunks, you got me," she said, sounding disgusted. Then she felt a hand on her face, and she turned to see her young mother. She flinched back. Father had told her about her mother, some, but seeing her was a totally different thing. She was still Eclipse, and those dark red eyes were unnerving.

"You- you are my daughter?" asked Eclipse, her lip trembling slightly. The girl just stood there, trying to keep the calm she had always been taught to keep.

"Yes."

Piccolo was looking at her hard, trying to figure what was going on.

Pluto walked over. "I sense a disturbance in the space time continuum around you."

"Yes."

"Would you please explain?"

"Haven't you already changed the future by being here? Or create an different timeline?" asked Trunks, confused.

"No and yes. The method your mother used to travel through time created an alternate timeline. But when Puu sent me out-" Pluto made a small noise to dispute that, but stopped," she told me that while my experiences would not change, the universe I came from would be permanently altered. I am displaced in time. The Universe I was came from no longer exists. Well, it does, it is just not the same."

"I don't get it," said Trunks, scratching his head.

"Your mother's experiments damaged the fabric of time-space. Pluto sensed this, and needed someone to willingly become unstuck in time. I exist outside it now. My job has been to fix holes. Don't ask me why she sent me here. I have no clue. When the Keeper of Time tells me to jump, I don't ask why, I just ask how high."

"So?"

"I am your daughter, but not. Your child will be born, and live a totally different life than mine, and the time line I came from will never have existed, but to keep things going, I had to still exist. It's a paradox, but paradox makes things interesting."

Pluto laughed at this, and put her hand over her mouth.

"What's so funny?" asked Piccolo, looking at from her to his daughter and back.

"That's one of the sayings that the Keepers of Time have been using for millennia. It proves what she is saying."

Everyone shook his or her heads, looking confused.

"Let's go back to Capsule Corp, and celebrate," said Sailor Uranus. "The Androids have been defeated. We can talk about time and space later."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Pluto obligingly opened another portal, and they stepped through to the CC lawn.

"Your name is Serenity?" asked Piccolo, looking at future daughter. 

"Officially, yes," she shrugged. She had her father's habit of using as few words as possible. "You always called me Phoenix, though."

"Ah."

Eclipse had returned to her more familiar form of Usagi, and was still memorizing the woman's features. "You look like both of us, with you dad's skin and height, but more- human-ish."

Pheonix rubbed her forehead, again noting the lack of antennae. Her father's ears graced the side of her head, and her mother's blue shone out of slanted sockets. Her skin was smooth, like a human's, lacking the pink patches. Her father's fangs would peek out whenever she spoke, and the claws on her fingers were obvious. Her eyebrows were heavy, almost like ridges, but they did have hair. Looking at how she moved, Usagi noted who had a greater impact on her life. She chuckled.

Two green faces looked at her inquisitively.

"Oh, I was thinking you would be a daddy's girl. I was right."

Phoenix sighed in exasperation, while Piccolo just looked amused. She didn't say what she was thinking. _Father always called me that- If only she knew._

"HEY MOM! We defeated the Androids!"

Bulma ran over. "You did? How? When? I have to document this!"

"Yeah," muttered Usagi. "Now we just have to find Cell."

"Taken care of," said Phoenix. "I need to check on Juurokogou."

She flew away, and they looked at her in surprise.

"Who was that?" asked Bulma. 

"She's our daughter," said Piccolo.

Bulma had had enough. She fainted again.

To be continued!


	23. XXIII

A Special Training XXIII

** **

Disclaimer: The copyrighted characters mentioned in this story to do not belong to me, and I make no money from this work. Its just a piece of twisted and insane, strange writing that comes from a sick and diseased mind. :giggles:

A/N: I love all the reviews I am getting but if something happens that I cannot get the next chapter out, chibi tenshi senchi, don't hang yourself. If I can wait on Eternal SailorM, then you can wait on me. Please don't scare me like that.

Oh, yes, I get to have as many people pass out as I want. It makes me happy. 

Phoenix sat in front of a coffin like box, wondering about what to do next.

The Juurokogou she remembered from her time, was a sweet and gentle soul. Her hands trembled as they touched the box.

"Thank Kami, it will never happen."

Pluto had told her that she could not deliberately change the future of her timeline. Another one had already taken the place of hers. History would take its own course. The only place her history had come from was her memory.

"This isn't my Juurokogou," she muttered to herself. "Doesn't matter, he still deserves the chance to be awake, to love this world the way he did in mine."

_They are still alive, just different._

__"I hope that the other me gets to have it easier."

Opening the box, she looked inside, and gently touched a button. The red haired giant opened his eyes, which glowed red at the moment. He would be no danger to her, as she was not in his memory banks.

"Hello, Juurokogou," she whispered, and put hand out to take his. 

"I must destroy Goku," he said, in his flat, mechanical voice. No expression was on his face.

"Goku died long ago, Juuroko," she said, "you don't have to hunt him now."

"Why am I here then?"

"To live, Juuroko."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"That was your daughter?" asked Bulma, getting up from her recent faint. _It must be old age,_ she reasoned, guessing that was why she had kept fainting.

Usagi nodded, and Piccolo had plastered his usual 'I-don't-give-a-crap' look back on his face. Most of them could see through it, due to him jumping when they mentioned the word 'daughter', and that he couldn't stop his mouth from twitching into a smile. 

"Where did she go, then?" 

"She said something about Juurokogou. Did he exist in this dimension?" asked Trunks, scratching his head.

"It makes sense," said Gohan. "He was there in our dimension. He was built before Juunanagou and Juuhachigou, so he would have existed before the two time lines separated."

Ami smiled and nodded in approval of the young man's deduction. 

"Now what?" asked Bulma, sipping some tea. 

"I guess, now that the trouble is over- we could go home?" Makoto asked. This sad world was getting to her. 

"Is there anything more we can do here?" Usagi asked, with Piccolo behind her. 

"I do not think so, Princess, everything else is a matter of Time," answered Setsuna.

"I think she is right as well," said a voice, and they turned to see Phoenix standing in the doorway, the red haired android behind her.

"Bulma, my friend here wants some help. He wants to help protect earth, but there are some problems with his programming."

"How?"

"I used the 'on' button," she said blithely, turning to Pluto. 

"I still don't know why I am here. Although, it would be fine if you went home now. The space time continuum is not going to rupture, at least, that's what you told me to tell you."

Pluto nodded, like this made perfect sense. Trunks sighed, and looked longingly at Ami.

Seeing the look, Bulma smiled. "I will be fine here, Trunks. I can work on Juurokogou's programming. What do you want me to change, dear?" she asked the stoic android, whose eyebrows went up in surprise at being called 'dear'.

Pluto was smiling faintly at these events, although she was wishing that she could make out a clear future right then. While technically Time's master, she was as caught up in events as the next mortal. It made life interesting. The images she got were switching and changing so rapidly they made no sense.

Life was fun.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Phoenix watched, a little wistfully, as the portal opened to take the Sailor and Z Senshi back to the Sailor Universe It had been nice to get to see her, she thought. She didn't know if she would ever see her mother again. Papa had told her stories, of course, but-

It just wasn't the same.

The future was fluid again, and while her journeys through time should have locked them into place, it only redirected. Things could still move, changes occur. It gave her a sense of accomplishment that things were happening like that.

"Are you coming?" asked a voice, and Phoenix turned to see Trunks gesturing for her to go with them.

"I didn't know that I was invited," she said, keeping her surprise to herself.

"Of course," said Usagi, bubbly as ever. "Your grandparents would love to meet you!"

Phoenix blinked. "You want me to…come with you?"

"Why shouldn't we?" asked Usagi, confused, an edge in her voice.

Again, Phoenix hesitated. Usagi didn't understand it.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," rumbled Piccolo, also confused by her odd behavior. Phoenix shrugged, and stepped through the portal, and put her foot firmly down on the butterflies in her middle.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Here we are!" called Makoto, and the Senshi sighed, happy to be back in their sweet, beautiful world.

Phoenix looked around. This world seemed much tamer that what she was used to. No spectacular buildings, no dinosaurs.

She levitated, about to go look around, when Piccolo caught her arm.

"No one flies here, and it would be stupid to be seen."

"Hmph."

Phoenix rested her feet on the ground again, and looked annoyed.

Piccolo scowled.

They had the exact same expression on their faces, and Usagi, looking back and forth between them, laughed.

Everyone looked at her, then at the father and daughter.

"Yep, I can tell who her parents are, all right-" started Minako, when she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Whose parents?" asked Rei, dressed in her usual school uniform. Behind her was Mamoru, in his usual clothing of choice, jeans, black shirt, and a green blazer.

Behind them was Chibi-Usa, looking forlorn.

Minako only grinned, and pointed at the three.

Rei's eyes became huge as she saw them, and Mamoru backed up several paces.

Phoenix's reaction was completely uncalled for. Upon seeing Mamoru, she bared her teeth, and stepped between Usagi, Piccolo, and Rei and Mamoru. She was once again wearing her bandanna, and you couldn't see the crescent moon. If it had been visible, they would have seen it glowing wildly.

"Phoenix? Something wrong?" asked Usagi, walking around her and placing her palms on the clenched, upraised fists.

"Its nothing-" she said quickly, immediately regaining control. "Nothing."

"You sure?"

Her answer was a short grunt, and Gohan snickered. A female Piccolo; it was a scary thought.

"So, Phoenix," said Piccolo, "What are we going to do with you?" 

Again, she shrugged. Staying it the forest was second nature; the thought of _staying_ with people was alien to her.

"She can stay with me," said Usagi. "That way I can watch both my daughters."

They nodded, with Usagi taking Phoenix by the hand and leading her into the city. Rei and Mamoru looked at each other, troubled.

"Hey, you two, guess what happened!" exclaimed the ecstatic Minako, bouncing over to tell what had happened. Piccolo watched the dark pair with the blond suspiciously, but followed when Gohan and Trunks, with Ami, left to go inside the capsule house.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So, this is where I live!" said Usagi, with Chibi-Usa and Phoenix in tow. Phoenix looked around, face revealing nothing.

"Hey, Mom, Dad, we're home!" she yelled, and her mother ran to the door.

"Oh, is that nice Piccolo-san with you?" she asked, seeing the while caped form behind her daughter. Phoenix had put her hood over her head, to keep too many people from staring.

"No, this is Phoenix, Mom, she's- I'll tell you when I get inside."

They escorted the half-breed inside, and they saw that she had a sad expression on her face. _So, she's not exactly like Piccolo._

__She pulled back the hood, and Usagi's mother gave a loud gasp when she saw the blond hair tumbling from Phoenix's head. 

"Meet your possible grandchild, due to a space time paradox!" said Usagi brightly, and heard Chibi-Usa grunt. 

"Oh, yeah, this is also my possible daughter, from the future," Usagi said less happily, and gently rubbed her middle. 

Her mother paused, and blinked, several times.

"Welcome to the family!" she said, and hugged them both.

Phoenix looked surprised, confused, and like she was about to cry. 

"Is something wrong, dear?" asked her grandmother, and she once again swallowed her emotions. It wouldn't do to be seen crying while meeting her grandparents

"Nothing," she said harshly, using her alien features to hide what she felt. 

"I forgot to ask, dear, but how old are you?"

Phoenix was thrown by the question, and berated herself for her surprise. 

"I was hatched thirteen years ago."

"Oh my- you certainly are tall."

"I was told that I take after my father. If you like, I can make myself shrink. Its no big deal."

Usagi had been listening to Phoenix since they had met her, and was picking up some cues from how she acted. Clearly, she wasn't used to being around other people. Piccolo was like that, as was Gohan. There were also some things from her speech that she had gathered- She wondered about the time this girl had come from. Although, if she was like Piccolo, she couldn't push her for answers, that would get her clobbered.

"No, child, you don't have to shrink! I mean- I was complementing your height. It must be nice, being able to reach things so high up."

Phoenix ducked her head. "Ah- it does make things easier."

Things were decidedly strained at that moment. Usagi was confused about how she should treat this possible child, her mother was running out of small talk, and Small Lady was getting ticked about being ignored.

"You have such pretty hair," said Usagi's mother kindly, and she put her hand out to touch the gold braid. Phoenix made a small noise, made to pull away, but stopped herself. 

"You are so pretty-" she said, and pulled the young lady to her feet. "You would look just lovely in some of Usagi's old clothes- and I could do some wonderful things with that hair. Come with me, dear, we'll get you dressed in something far nicer than that smelly uniform!"

Phoenix's eyes had gone wide with shock, and Usagi and Chibi-Usa covered their mouths to keep from laughing. The Half-Namek was pulled to her feet, and dragged to the bathroom, with her happily chattering grandmother. She threw a pleading look over her shoulder, but was given no reprieve, as both Usa's only waved bye-bye.

To be continued.

(A/N: This bit was more fluff than anything else, although it was better than the very long description of an even in the space time continuum that I _had _written. It couldn't have worked without paradox, but I didn't want to freeze time in place. It gets really complicated from there. Also, I have two new pics done, at [www.geocities.com/laraniadrake/embrace.jpg][1], and at [www.geocities.com/laraniadrake/phoenix.jpg][2]. I hope you like them; please tell me!)

   [1]: http://www.geocities.com/laraniadrake/embrace.jpg
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/laraniadrake/phoenix.jpg



	24. XXIV

A Special Training XXIV

** **

Disclaimer: (Insert here)

Phoenix had her eyes scrunched shut, hoping for the torture to end.

She was thirteen years old, although her half-breed status made her reach maturity faster than a normal human, and she had never worn make-up. Her recently found grandmother was giggling like a little girl over how much she was enjoying herself, applying enough foundation to drown a rat to the girl's green face, covering up her alien features. She teased her blond eyebrows, darkening them, applied eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, lipstick, until all you saw was a very handsome young girl.

There was too much of her father in her to be conventionally pretty. You just couldn't work much with a harsh face like that.

Still, the character there worked just great, and her hair was purely her mother's, and it was curled and styled to a ne'er thee well.

"Ta-da!" said her grandmother, and Phoenix looked into the mirror she put up, and stared blankly.

_I wish Trunks was here, he couldn't call me a freak now,_ Phoenix thought immediately, then stopped. She was not ashamed of what she was, it was just annoying having one half-breed that could walk around easily, while the other one couldn't.

"I'll leave the bandanna on, dear," said her over active granny, grinning like mad. "The powder just does not take to that crescent moon. Not that it isn't pretty, mind, but it isn't normal-'

_Dende-sama,_ Phoenix thought, and sweat dropped. _Normal, hah. Papa would be turning in his grave right now._

"Come on, we need to show the others!"

Letting herself be led out, Phoenix looked at her almost mother and sister, who had been waiting expectantly.

They doubled over laughing.

Grandmother had given her some clothes, but they hadn't fit, and since she was trying her best to make a good impression, Phoenix had remade them with her ki, and was now wearing a cute short skirt, black leggings and a high collared blue shirt.

She felt humiliated. Not even Bulma had gotten her into something this ridiculous.

"Now, lets go see how your father likes your new look!" said Usagi, grabbing her tall daughter around the waist.

"NO!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It should be noted that Usagi was past her morning sickness phase, and was well into 'all is right with the world, I love you, you love me, and don't be worried, be happy,' stage of her pregnancy. You could have told her that Queen Beryl and Cell were back, and she would have invited them over for tea. Thus, she did not understand why her daughter did not want Piccolo to see her dressed up the way she was.

"Let me go," Phoenix pleaded again, as she was being carried by Usagi. Her mother was laughing, and telling her that they would have to get a camera to add all this to her baby pictures when she was born.

Piccolo, Trunks, Gohan and Ami had walked out of the house to see what was causing all the noise, and saw Usagi carrying someone. They didn't know who she was at first, until Usagi dumped her on the ground. 

"Phoenix?" they all asked at once, and sniggered.

The girl stood, and straightened her skirt, her face a study in embarrassment. Then she went as impassive as she usually was, and pointed at herself with her clawed fingers. There was a bright light, and she was back in her normal training clothes.

"Didn't you like the clothes that my mom put you in?" said Usagi, giving her a puppy eyed look.

Phoenix winced.

"No, I did not."

"You should be more respectful of your mother," said Trunks, annoyed.

Phoenix smirked. "You should talk, Trunks-kun."

Trunks blinked at how she referred to him. Then she ducked her head.

"Gomen, I knew Chibi-Trunks."

"You two grew up together?"

"You could say that," she muttered; making a face, before pulling her mask back on.

"Tell us about yourself. You are my daughter, after all!" said the disgustingly chipper Usagi, pulling her over to the house, and dragging her to the living room.

"Would you please let me go?" Phoenix pleaded softly, still overwhelmed.

"NOPE! I want to know if I was a good mother, if you ever did stuff like Little League, cheerleading, that kind of thing!"

Phoenix didn't say anything, just looked at her, when Piccolo, Trunks and Gohan walked in, with Ami looking thoughtful behind them.

Ami was watching the play of emotions that Phoenix was trying so hard, yet failing so miserably, to conceal.

"How did your mother die, Phoenix?" Ami asked softly, and was rewarded with a jump from Phoenix.

"My past doesn't matter," Phoenix growled, not looking anyone in the eyes. She made to leave, when Piccolo blocked her.

"How did she die, brat?" he hissed back at her, grabbing her shoulders. She tensed, feeling his strength.

"It won't happen, so what would be the point in telling you? It would just scare everybody," she answered defiantly.

"I am your father," he said, not knowing where the sudden paternal tone came from, but willing to use it. "You _will _tell us."

Ami was a bright girl, and the way that Phoenix kept evading the question was bothering her.

"What did you have to do with it?"

A tremor ran through the girl, and Ami knew she had struck a nerve. 

"It wasn't my fault," she whispered, her hands clenched into fists. "It wasn't."

"TELL ME GIRL, WHAT HAPPENED?" yelled Piccolo, starting to shake her.

No answer.

"Serenity," said Usagi softly, seeing the unshed tears in her eyes. "I don't blame you." She put her hand on the green face, in her mind the most beautiful blending of her features and Piccolo's. 

A strangled sob came out of Phoenix's mouth, but she refused to cry. Grinding her teeth, she looked down, and into her mother's deep blue eyes.

"Childbirth," Phoenix said flatly, after a heavy pause. "You were away, and no one could get to you in time to dissolve the shell. You died because of massive internal bleeding. Piccolo got to you in time to remove the egg, before it cracked inside you, and removed me, but you died anyway."

"You do blame yourself, don't you, sweetheart?" Usagi said, maternal instincts making her want to comfort this woman-child. Then something else struck her as odd.

"You said earlier, 'I was told I take after my father.' Didn't you know him?"

Phoenix looked away then.

"He killed himself, and left me in the forest to survive when I was four."

"What?" Usagi gasped, and looked over at Piccolo. His face was pasty. 

"Why would I do that?" he asked her, confused, and shocked.

"You- I know you tried not to, Papa, but, you blamed me for Mama's death," Phoenix answered in a small voice. "One day, you just stopped looking at me. About a week later, you disappeared, and I found you later, in the river."

_I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry-_

__Piccolo was leaning heavily against a wall, with Trunks, Gohan and Ami looking at accusingly. "I wouldn't do that."

Phoenix still didn't look at him, but she sniffled very loudly.

Usagi was crying, hugging her daughter, while the girl refused to look at anybody. Ami still got the feeling that she hadn't told them everything, but it was her secret to tell. 

"Its okay, baby, its okay, mommy's here, I won't let anyone hurt you now," Usagi whispered in a litany, while the tall green girl said nothing, her crumpling.

Trunks awkwardly patted her on the shoulder, while Ami bit her lip. Gohan looked at his teacher in disbelief.

"I know it couldn't have been your fault, chibi-Phoenix," said Piccolo softly, and he also hugged her. 

It was too much. The stoic half-breed finally broke down. She hadn't cried since she had found her father's body- But she had found him again, and her mother, and for a moment, she had her family back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mamoru paced around his apartment, trying to pull his hair out.

"Did you see that, that freak?" he yelled, making Rei jump.

"Well, we knew she was pregnant," she pointed out. "This wasn't outside the realm of possibility."

"Yes, but neither was Chibi-Usa! She was supposed to be our daughter, my heir! Now that Usagi is pregnant, and it is certain she will bear a daughter, I will never be king. It's a girl that was always the ruler of the White Moon Kingdom, and I could never rule without the power inherent in that!"

"So, now what?"

"Chibi-Usa must be the only possible heir," Mamoru muttered to himself, still pacing in circles. "That freakish crossbreed can't be allowed to live."

"Just keep everyone away," said Rei smoothly. She had known that they had been planning Usagi's downfall, if not death, since the beginning, and it didn't bother her at all. 

Mamoru stopped his pacing.

"What?"

"Here's my idea-"

To be continued!


	25. XXV

A Special Training XXV

** **

Disclaimer: The copyrighted characters in this story do not belong to me, and I make no money from this whatsoever.

There was a constant in the universe that Usagi loathed.

School.

She yawned loudly, after doing her training for the morning, and returned home, with Phoenix in tow. The revelations about the girl's past had disturbed her, and she wanted to keep an eye on her.

Usagi was getting dressed, still yawning, and Phoenix looked at her, and suddenly smiled. Seeing where her eyes were pointed, Usagi looked down at her middle.

The pooch was more noticeable than it had been the day before. Touching it tenderly, Usagi joined her daughter in smiling. 

"I wonder how long I will have to keep going to classes," she asked rhetorically, and Phoenix cocked her head to the side.

"What's it like? Going to school, I mean."

Usagi shrugged. "You sit in a class with a bunch of other bored kids, listening to a teacher who really doesn't want to be there either, bather on about something you don't care about. Why? Didn't you go to school?"

Phoenix paused for a moment, her instinctive silence versus her desire to get to know her mother. "Bulma and Gohan tutored me. I didn't go to school because I would hide in the forest whenever they tried to make me go. I just never…felt comfortable around people."

Usagi could feel pity well up in her. She could guess at the reactions a lot of people would have towards her- at least here. She had met some odd characters in her friend's world…

"What will you do while I'm at school?" asked Usagi, and Phoenix shrugged. 

"I've never been here before; I guess just look around."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Usagi asked skeptically, when Phoenix grinned and reached inside her sash.

"You have a disguise pen?" she exclaimed. Phoenix nodded.

"Puu gave it to me. She doesn't remember it, but- well, there it is."

"Why didn't you use it earlier?"  
"It stops working at strange times. So, I only use it when the need is immediate."

"Oh," Usagi said, and looked at her watch.

"I got to go. Stay out of trouble," she told her, then smacked herself on the forehead. "Gods, I sound like my mother already!"

She sped out the door, and Phoenix smiled.

"You can come out now, Chibi-Usa," Phoenix said, and the pink haired little girl walked out from the closet.

"How did you know I was there?" asked the little girl, confused.

"I could hear you. My ears do more than decorate my face. Humans have a weak sense of hearing."

Chibi-Usa rolled her eyes.

"What I don't understand," her older 'sister' asked," is why you haven't told Usagi yet that you are from an different timeline."

"How did you know?" Chibi-Usa gasped, and stepped back from those confusing blue eyes, that looked at her like a hawk after a mouse.

"Because I have been going through time for the past two years. I saw your time- your parents miss you. It is safe there, now. I was surprised at what I found there- Mamoru was a totally different person. I don't know why he is so different here."

"Mamoru is not bad!" Chibi-Usa yelled, but was stopped by Phoenix's upraised hand. 

"Yes, he is, and while he may not have done it yet, he will do something horrible. You will listen, if you care for Usagi, and the fate of this world."

Chibi-Usa swallowed hard, wanting to run. She didn't want to hear anything bad about Mamoru, but she knew she had to.

"I'll listen," she whispered.

"Good."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mamoru had the strangest feeling of being watched. Despite that, however, he had been unable to find those staring eyes that tried to bore holes in the back of his head, no matter how fast he turned around.

He shivered. It was uncanny. One time he could have sworn he had felt fingers brush the back of his neck, but when he jumped, the person he was with asked if he had felt a chill. He had seen nothing.

It was the same all day. No matter where he went. In the arcade, the cafeteria, his apartment. 

It was getting to him. 

"Something wrong?" asked his friend Andrew, (I don't remember his Japanese name.) He was sitting in the sitting in the arcade, and Andrew was handing him his drink.

"I don't know… Is there anyone else here?" Mamoru asked, looking around. He still didn't see anyone, but he wasn't sure.

"There's a girl over in that stall in the corner," Andrew answered, confused, and tilted his head in that direction.

Turning, he saw a girl, with her back towards him.

_Honestly, whom does Usagi think she is fooling,_ Mamoru thought, and got up. He wanted to know why she had been following him. 

"Hey, _Usako_," he said sarcastically, tapping the girl's shoulder. Suddenly the girl was grabbing his hand. Pain flared.

Gasping, he sat down in front of her, and he looked into a pair of icy, Prussian blue eyes.

The blond hair was under a backwards ball cap, and she was wearing a tank top under a flannel shirt. Her face was just enough like Usagi's for him to have been fooled, and her grip was deadly.

"Hi, Mamoru."

Suddenly, the pain stopped, and Mamoru was choking, as he recognized the girl.

He wasn't sure how she had changed her skin tone, but Phoenix looked at him with amusement, eyes like a hawk stooping on its prey.

"YOU!"

"Me. So, I know what you and Rei are planning. Sorry, but it won't work. It will just mean that you get to die, by my hand, or Piccolo's, hell, even Usagi's, later. I'm telling you this, because since you haven't done it yet, you get the chance to avoid some really nasty consequences."

"What are you talking about?" Mamoru said, acting innocent, trying to cover his shock.

"You succeeded in my past, which no longer exists. Things are changing. Because of you, I grew up without a mother. Because of _you_, my father committed suicide. Because of your greed, you were killed later by the Sailor Senshi. If you want save your own life, then don't do anything."

Mamoru sat still in shock, as the young warrior got up and left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(I couldn't resist this part. It will become another side story- unless you want me to make it part of the main.)

"WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOW?" screamed a voice just outside the arcade.

Phoenix had just been about to disappear into the shadows, as she usually did. She had no real idea when the disguise pen would wear off, and it wouldn't be a good idea to be caught as her usual self.

Then there was a yell in the middle of the busy street. A young man, older than she was, but then, most everyone was older than she was. He was wearing a huge pack, with an umbrella strapped to the top. He carried himself like a martial artist. His ki was unusually high, for a human. He also looked confused out of his mind.

"You're in Juuban," she told him, coming up from behind.

Her guess that he was a martial artist was confirmed when he swung his fist reflexively, and she just as absently blocked it. 

"Impressive," she muttered under her breath. She had to raise her ki to block that, even if it was slightly.

For Ryouga's part, he stared, completely flabbergasted. She had taken of his strongest blows, and not even flinched!

"Uh, could you direct me to the Tendo Dojo?" he asked weakly, swallowing.

"What district is it in?"

"Nerima."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi was in class, trying to keep her concentration on the book in front of her.

It didn't help that her 'large Namekian guard dog' was somewhere above the building. Or that she could feel Trunks somewhere inside it, and that Gohan was discreetly hiding in a nearby closet. Ami had apparently leaked some of Phoenix's story to her friends, and they were watching her from around the room, out of the corner of their eyes. She had sneezed earlier, and the Senshi had nearly fainted, and when someone had bumped her in the cafeteria, Ami had to call Piccolo off from killing the guy.

To top it all off, Phoenix had disappeared a few days before.

This left the mood swinging, happy go lucky girl rather traumatized.

"What happened to her?" she muttered, and went back to her algebra. She had been very happy when Ami said she had increased in her proficiency. Usagi suppressed a smile. Chi-Chi had insisted she study with Gohan on occasion.

"Is something wrong, Usagi?" asked Makoto, worried.

"Nothing, just thinking that if anyone else treats me like glass, I'll Eclipse some people."

Makoto winced. "So, we're worried about you. We love you; why shouldn't we worry?"

"Only when my sanity is at stake!"

"I know you think we are smothering you, and that-" she sighed, and seemed to turn green, "we don't treat you like a real warrior. But, this is one of the strangest pregnancies I have ever heard of. Trunks and Gohan said that at least humans and Saiya-jins were physically alike. Piccolo is a – deviation? I don't know what you would call it, but with what Phoenix said, we are not going to let you die of something like that. _We_ will die first."

Usagi was taken aback.

"Thank you, Mako-chan," she said, touched.

"Sides, we have to make you eat now. If you can't eat, then it must be the end of the world!"

~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The second month was starting, and Usagi was having more trouble hiding her pregnancy from her teachers and classmates. She had gotten larger uniforms, but that wasn't helping all much.

Especially since she was running to the bathroom, every hour on the hour, sometimes even more frequently. The developing shell had even less give than a normal uterus. The pressure on her bladder was incredible.

Ami sighed, as she again took more readouts about her leader.

"Something wrong?" asked Trunks, coming in from sparring with Gohan. 

They were at the capsule house, and Ami was studying, and working to figure out why the pregnancy was going so strangely, while her friends trained. Usagi was doing a light workout with Piccolo, (meaning, it would kill most normal people) and had yet to come in.

Ami looked up, and promptly forgot to breathe, as she looked at the purple haired warrior. Sweat had plastered his black tank top to his chest, and she could feel herselt blushing as she stared unabashedly at how it outlined his muscles. He hadn't noticed, and he turned to go to his room and get a shower, giving her a lovely view of his butt.

_I will not act Minako; I will not act like Minako…_

__"You're drooling," said Usagi, also dressed in black, after Trunks had wandered away. She was glowing. Usagi was now in the stage where she seemed to bloom with life. Piccolo walked up behind her, and although he didn't touch her, he seemed to wrap her in his presence. He was also tired, but as usual, said nothing.

"Any luck on finding Phoenix?" asked Gohan, behind them. For some reason he seemed very protective of the girl, and no one cared to question it. It was like Gohan was determined to repay his mentor by protecting his mentor's daughter.

Ami nodded. "She seems to have been the Nerima district."

"She is good enough to take care of herself," said Piccolo, and Usagi nodded. They remembered how she had helped beat up that android…

"What bothers me is that I think we will have to dissolve the shell earlier than expected," Ami muttered, going back to her computer. 

"Is that good for the baby?" asked Gohan, crossing his arms.

"I can't tell yet-" Ami said, when Usagi took her computer, and firmly closed it.

"HEY!"

Usagi grinned impishly at her. "Tonight, why don't you go have some fun? You've been working on this for the past month, one night away will not kill you, me, or chibi-Phoenix. Have some fun with Trunks," she told her airily, waving the computer around in the air before handing it back.

"USAGI!" Ami gasped, hearing the innuendo in her voice.

Piccolo just cocked an antenna, while Gohan covered his mouth to stifle a laugh.

"You know that you like him. I can tell he likes you. Just don't break out into a rash like you did about that other guy, and things should go just fine!"

Ami had turned beet red, and was rapidly heading towards maroon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ami had hastily retreated after being embarrassed out of her mind, but the thought of going out with Trunks was far from bad. She just had to figure out something fun they could do… that wouldn't bore him to death. She was painfully aware of how her idea of fun could put most people to sleep.

The museum was her first thought, but he might not like that. Uh- a baseball game?

She hated that sport.

She had been sitting in the kitchen of the capsule house, when a voice asked.

"Do you want to go to the amusement park?"

Ami turned to see Trunks, in his usual black pants, standing in the doorway.

"Sure!" she said brightly. "I would love to!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Usagi smiled, seeing Trunks and Ami leave the house, almost touching, and heard Gohan say something about wanting to look for Phoenix. He grabbed a map, and walked out of the room, in his white tunic and blue pants.

"So, everyone is gone for the night," said Piccolo, his voice husky.

"MMmm."

"Any thoughts of what to do?"

"You could – yipe!" she exclaimed, as she was picked up, and being carried away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~

Gohan was taking the bus to Nerima, where he could Phoenix's ki, still. 

What he found when he got there, was-

"Good grief," he said, looking at the stupidity in front of him.

Phoenix was surrounded by a group of humans, most of who were unconscious, with a man dressed like a samurai proclaiming his love for his blond angel.

Then, he saw a red haired girl come out of nowhere, and try to whack the mad samurai wannabe on the noggin. By fate, or some evil oni, he missed, and was being glomped by the previously mentioned samurai wannabe, who was now proclaiming his love for his flame haired goddess.

"Phoenix?" Gohan asked, his eyebrows making themselves at home in his hairline.

The blond girl- (How had she changed her skin color?) waved cheerfully, and went back to beating the kendo guy senseless.

"SAOTOME! PREPARE TO DIE!" shouted someone else, and Gohan turned to see a black haired guy swinging an umbrella go after the red haired girl, who ran away, and was then being chased by someone else, a purple haired girl proclaiming that it was time for Ranma to take her out on a date.

"RANMA NO BAKA!" shouted a short haired girl with a mallet, sending the red haired girl into LEO.

Gohan walked over to Phoenix, and the bloody moron-samurai. 

"You go off for –"

"DUCK!" Phoenix barked, and they dipped down, as several small spatulas flew like ninja stars, and hit a nearby power line pole.

"- a few days, and this happens?" asked Gohan, his eyes about to bug off.

"You have no idea, Gohan, no idea at all."

To be continued.


	26. XXVI

A Special Training XXVI

** **

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me, and I make no money from this story.

Phoenix pointed towards Nerima, but considering how close it was, she thought it might be a good idea to help him get there. For one thing, she didn't want this young man-

"By the way," said the fanged martial artist, "my name is Ryouga."

-didn't want Ryouga to get even more lost.

She had started in the direction of the bus stopped, but turned around when she felt his ki begin to move away from her. 

He was walking away; still in the middle of the conversation she had started with him, and let him start a long monologue. His rambling voice, getting farther away, was what had clued her she was loosing him.

"Ryouga?" she asked, and grabbed his shoulder again. This time he didn't lash out, but craned his neck, and he blushed, when he realized he had nearly lost her.

"Sorry," he murmured, and looked down. 

"Bad sense of direction?" she asked, trying to hold back a grin. She almost succeeded, but her mouth still twitched. Ryouga nodded, looking so pathetic that she took pity.

Grabbing his arm, she pulled him along with her.

"Do you know where you are going?" Ryouga asked, worried.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I think the Tendo Dojo, is ah- this way?"

"This is the fifth time you said that," Phoenix muttered, still keeping him in her death grip. Ryouga was blushing madly by now, because a very pretty girl was touching him, and it was only by force of will that he staved off a nosebleed. 

"I'm sure I'm right this time, though!"

Phoenix only rolled her eyes. Then she frowned. Being around these humans for so long was making her act strangely. She was moving too much. So much was part of her early training the theory that too much movement meant death, that the thought of actually expressing her emotions was foreign, and confusing.

Seeing the frown, and thinking it was towards himself, Ryouga sighed in despair, his usual melodrama continuing.

"I am sorry," he said, hanging his head again.

"Huh?"

"I-"

"Fiendish cur! I will smite thee!" shouted a voice, and another black haired boy bounced over towards them, being chased by a young man in samurai getup. 

"I don't care about you wantin' to talk to the red haired girl-" said the boy, when the samurai guy went into hyper drive, and started spouting gibberish about the evil Saotome, and that he needed to free his twain loves-

Then, Saotome ran into Phoenix and Ryouga.

He saw them a split second before impact, and avoided Ryouga like the plague, and instead collided with Phoenix. 

Ramna thought he had hit a brick wall.

Phoenix wondered why she suddenly had a guy grabbing her front.

"Thou _demon!_ Thou would corrupt another fair and innocent lass?" Kuno yelled, swinging his bokken, and Ramna ducked. It slashed down, about to hit Phoenix, when she caught it one handed.

"Alas! Fair blond angel, I am remiss in my duties of protecting the most beautiful of maidens from the scourge of Saotome…"

Phoenix wondered if her eyes were about to pop from their sockets. This guy was crazy.

"Ah, Kuno, it ain't what it looks like, it was an accident!"

Suddenly Ryouga seemed to realize what was going on.

"SAOTOME, PREPARE TO DIE!"

Phoenix just kind of stood there, dazed, still gripping the blade of the bokken, while that nut ball kept proclaiming his love for her, for her courage at facing his blade, Ryouga tried to kill Saotome, and lots of yelling went on.

"WILL YOU ALL SHUT UP?' she screamed, and crushed the bokken, kicked Ryouga, and punched Saotome in the gut.

All of the boys fell to the ground, moaning in pain. Kuno fell because he was bemoaning the loss of his fine blade.

"Girl, what are you?" Ramna gasped, holding his stomach. 

"She offered to help me find my way back to the Tendo Dojo," Ryouga wheezed, his breath shallow. He thought she had broken some ribs.

"Please, good lady," Kuna began, but didn't finish, because Phoenix backhanded him into a wall.

"You people are insane," she said flatly, just staring at them with her father's scowl.

Walking over, she helped both of them up.

"No more fighting," she said in that same flat tone, and the boys took two steps backwards.

"Yes ma'am," they said together.

Then Ryouga asked, "Um, I never got your name."

"My name is Daimou Phoenix."

"Phoenix Demon?"

"Hai."

Another two steps back.

"Really, I'm sorry I ran into you. I didn't mean it! I wasn't trying to touch or anything!"

Phoenix blinked. They thought that was why she was mad?

"I believe you. Just, why are you two fighting?"

Ryouga and Ranma looked at each other. Suddenly, when confronted with a demon phoenix, their squabble seemed less important.

Shamefaced, they started the story of the bread battles, while Phoenix looked on incredulously.

"You…fought this long…over…bread…"

"Uh, actually it was over what happened afterwards…" said Ryouga, meekly.

"Can we go someplace where we can talk this out?" Phoenix muttered, looking around.

"We can go to the Tendo Dojo," said Ranma, after having been introduced.

Phoenix looked over Ryouga, who was trying to sink into the ground. "Isn't that where you wanted to go?"

"Uh, yes ma'am?"

Phoenix could feel her face going colder.

"I'm out of here."

She started to walk off, when Ranma grabbed her arm, and planted a spirit ward on her forehead.

"WHAT?"

Ranma stared in shock. It hadn't worked.

"What- just were you trying to DO?" Phoenix yelled at him. She didn't know that her aura was flaring slightly. Both boys noticed, and decided to try three steps back, instead of their usual two.

"Uh, a spirit ward?" Ranma answered weakly, putting his hands in the air.

"I-" she started to say she was the granddaughter, or daughter, however you looked at it, of Kami-sama, but decided that they were about to have too big a brain drain as it was.

She snatched the ward from her head. That was embarrassing.

"We will go back to the dojo, and talk, okay?"

Nods.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"There is a new girl after Ranma's affections?" asked Cologne, angered. 

Her great granddaughter, Shampoo, nodded solemnly, her own eyes flashing with rage. They had planned and worked so long to capture Ranma and take him back to their village, that they would not tolerate _another_ female in competition.

"I will have to do some scrying to see if this girl is really a threat- but in the mean time, better safe than sorry. Mouse, Shampoo, watch this girl closely, to find out any weakness or secrets we can use for blackmail. We have not come so far as to loose now!" said the Amazon elder, slapping her hand against the table she was sitting at.

They were at the Cat Café, after Shampoo had reported this latest development in the soap opera-slash-comedy-slash-drug trip of Nerima. Needless to say, they were pissed.

"I can't believe that Saotome would stoop to getting another girl involved!" shouted Mousse, pounding on what he thought was the table, but accidentally smacking the old ghoul upside the head.

Splash.

"Quack…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The three were headed in the direction of the Tendo Dojo, when they heard someone's stomach growl very loudly. Looking around, Phoenix noticed the distressed look on Ranma's face. He was staring in the direction of a restaurant, with an expression of longing.

"Hey, can we stop by Ucchan's on the way?" he begged, his eyes huge, trying to look innocent. 

"You just want some free food," said Ryouga, scathingly, but then, his stomach also rumbled.

"Looks like I ain't the only one," Ranma retorted, and cast his eyes back longingly at the restaurant. Even Phoenix had to agree that it smelled good.

Of course, she didn't eat much, mostly, she lived off of water, because it was easier, and a hell of a lot cheaper, than food. She could switch back and forth. Only when something needed regenerating, did she require a lot off food.

Being a hybrid had its advantages. 

She shrugged. If they wanted to eat, she had no problems with it.

Ranma practically jumped for joy, and headed into the restaurant, with Ryouga in tow. Walking behind them, she took in the aura of the building. Someone with a high ki was in there.

_Great. Are there more crazy humans?_

__Inside was a nice establishment, clean; you could tell the person who owned the place loved what they did.

"RANCHAN!" exclaimed a happy voice, which just as soon went sour when the owner saw Phoenix enter. 

_What is it with these people? It can't just be because they are ningens…_

__"Who are you?" the girl asked Phoenix, suddenly defensive.

"My name is Daimou Phoenix. A pleasure to meet you."

Ukyo, who had not seen Phoenix's display of power, was not the least frightened.

"That's an interesting name. So, what are you doing in Nerima?"

"I found Ryouga-" Phoenix noticed that she had gotten cheerful very quickly, and soon offered them all her specialty. 

Phoenix went on to explain to the two boys that she was annoyed by that samurai-bozo's speech. This set them all off laughing, causing her to go back into 'kill them all' expression, also fondly called her 'bitch face' by chibi-Trunks.

However, before they could see and die of fright, Phoenix began to feel a familiar tingle along her skin-

_Kuso._

__Her disguise pen was wearing off. 

"Ukyo-san, is there a restroom here?" she asked, and hurried into it before the transformation wore off. Swearing to herself, she was glad that she thought of something. In her pockets, she had brought with her several of the makeup bottles that her grandmother had given her, and started to apply them quickly. Foundation, powder, and anything that could mask the green give away skin. Thankfully, her hat covered the crescent moon. She really didn't want to try to explain that.

Examining her face critically, she wished she could do as perfect a job as the disguise pen. Of course, magic was hard to duplicate with makeup.

Growling to herself, knowing this was the best she could do, she walked back out.

"What kept you so long? Your food is cold."

"Ahh-" she really couldn't think of a good explanation. Dammit, why did these people talk so much?

"Never mind, I heated it back up," Ukyo-san said, and Phoenix nibbled at what was offered. It was good, she noted, but her jaw dropped when she saw the two boys begin to inhale the food with a gusto that she had only seen Saiya-jins use. 

"Are you sure you two are human?' Phoenix blurted without thinking, and then snarled at herself for not keeping her composure. 

They looked at her blankly, confused by the comment, and then went pale.

"No, we're human."

"Speak for yourself, pig boy!"

"DIE, SAOTOME!"

Ryouga was whacked with a giant spatula, while Phoenix slapped Ranma on the face, leaving a huge handprint, and grazed him with her claws.

_Oops…_

__Just then, a cat walked in, and Ranma stared at it. He started to sweat.

"What's wrong?' asked Phoenix, feeling the ki in the air suddenly change. 

"Cat- cccc- cat-" he stuttered, and Phoenix looked at him in confusion.

The other Nerima-jin started, and started looking for the cat that was giving Ranma fits. The aforementioned martial artist was shaking, his eyes dilated with terror. Then he hissed.

"What the HELL?"

Phoenix looked at the man who suddenly thought he was a cat. Since he was acting so funky, Phoenix did the only thing that made sense to her at the time. She hit him.

The Neko-ken, as has been mentioned in the past, is a nearly unstoppable technique. Sadly, this was before it came into contact with a really confused, disoriented, and pissed off Namek-Lunarian hybrid.

_Crash._

__"How did she do that?" asked Ukyo. She was staring at the hole in her wall, and was even forgetting to be mad that someone had damaged her beloved restaurant.

Ryouga was just as dumbfounded as Ukyo.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Grandmother! Grandmother! Girl beat Ramna!"

"What?" 

"Blond girl beat Ranma as Neko-ken! Shampoo go cat, and scare Ranma, see how good blond girl is, and blond girl _beat Ramna!_"

"This is very bad," Cologne said in a grave voice.

"Now, you will have to kill her."


	27. XXVII

A Special Training XXVII

** **

Disclaimer: The copyrighted characters in this story do not belong to me, and I make no money from this at all.

"They actually thought they could kill you?" said Gohan incredulously, his voice cracking. 

Phoenix nodded, lips quirked. This was the closest to raving laughter they would ever get her to show. 

"Apparently. They tried a couple of times. I, um, had to show them otherwise."

Gohan trembled with muffled guffaws.

"I can't believe it-" he gasped, failing to contain himself any longer, and fell to the ground, laughing insanely. This got the attention of the Nerima-jin, and they stopped their antics for a moment, to turn and stare at the two aliens.

"What's so funny?' asked a couple, seeing Gohan laughing so hard, he was crying. Gohan found he couldn't answer immediately.

"That any of you thought you could kill Phoenix!" This set him off again, and they all looked really offended, for some reason.

"Shampoo still could!" said the Amazon, arms down at her sides, enraged.

This made Gohan laugh harder.

They looked at each other incredulously. Ryouga, who had become Phoenix's friend, walked over, and declared," There is no way that I am going to let you harm her!"

The red haired girl joined in.

"She's our friend, you psycho Amazon!"

"That's sweet, but you guys-" Phoenix started.

"Never," wheezed the battered Kuno, "Shall I let my blond-" He was promptly attacked by three girls, red, black, and blond haired, and punted into LEO.

"This is all very nice," said the old ghoul, who had appeared out of nowhere on her stick, beside a duck, and holding a pot of water. She tossed it.

It hit Gohan, Ryouga and Phoenix. This had no effect on Gohan, and Ryouga promptly changed into a piglet.

It washed off all of Phoenix's makeup.

"OH, SHIT!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Akane trembled with shock, at seeing her beloved P-Chan melt out of the body of Ryouga. This palled, though, when the green skin melted out of the running makeup on Phoenix's face.

All the Nerima-jin were staring at her like she was an alien.

_Duh,_ she thought to herself.

Then the hat flew off, when someone – she thought it was Shampoo- tried to attack her. Baring her fangs, she hissed, and they all backed off several paces. Gohan, seeing his friend in trouble, got between her and the freaking out Nerimanites. 

They all stared at the glittering crescent moon, which was starting to glow. Even P-Chan was getting into it. Speaking of P-Chan…

Akane started to cry as she thought of her pet- all this time, the pervert had-

Stomping over, and ignoring the green Phoenix, Akane tried to step on the small black pig. Squealing, he tried to dodge, but wasn't fast enough, and was squashed.

"Hey, what did you do that for?' asked Phoenix, picking the other girl up by her collar, the piglet still suck to her foot.

"That PERVERT!" Akane wailed, rage making her aura flair. "He would sleep with me, in my BED!"

Phoenix was now completely confused, but holding the piglet in one hand, while Ranma snickered, and then sobered.

"What are you?" she asked, and then, everyone started to ask questions.

Phoenix, as not to attract much attention, had shrunk herself. All the questions being bombarded at her had her start shaking. It was too many people, too much noise, JUST- TOO-MUCH!

She reverted, making her clothes tear with a loud _rrriiiiiipppp._

__There was a loud scream of:

"DEAR GOD, IT'S A GIANT!"

Phoenix quailed. This was something she had never really dealt with, was people looking at her like she was a freak, and that was the expression on everyone's face. Even though she had thought that about herself numerous times, she had never really thought that someone would just – stare- at her…

Still holding P-Chan, she took off, shaking, with a tiny black piglet wailing in terror.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Why did you all do that for?" asked Gohan, indignantly.

"She- and P-Chan-" sputtered Akane.

"So, she wasn't human. What's wrong with that?"

Ranma was confused.

"How did she just fly off like that? I mean, flying? Does she have something to do with Sailor Moon? I mean, I didn't think they were real!"

The others were starting to babble, confused, and Gohan decided it would be a good time to leave.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Making herself ignored, Phoenix flew back to the capsule house. She didn't sense anyone training, didn't know if anyone was there, and didn't care. Dropping down, she landed in front of the door, and only then noticed the pained squealing in her hand.

"Sorry," she mumbled, embarrassed. She didn't know what happened to Ryouga, but she knew that if she put him down, he would run. That wouldn't do him any good; she needed to find a way to change him back- and get a chance to explain what she was. He had gotten to be a good friend, even if it had been only a few days. He understood what it was like to never see home.

Sighing, she looked at her clothes, and pointed at herself, changing them into her usual blue gi with white cloak. The makeup was completely obliterated, and P-Chan squealed even louder.

Then, abruptly, he stopped, seeing the crescent moon. It glittered in the half-light of the foyer. He noted how absently she scratched at it. It couldn't be a tattoo, he thought. It didn't look like one at all…

"Ryouga, how do I change you back? There is one, right?"

Ryouga nodded, and found himself relaxing, despite himself. He squirmed again, and Phoenix got the hint, and put him on the ground. He trotted, wondering why he wasn't freaking out; yet, she hadn't done anything dastardly, like eat him. He shuddered mentally.

It took him a minute to find the bathroom, and he went in, saw the furor, and jumped in. he instantly reverted to his human form- stark naked.

Fates, being perverse as they are, had Phoenix walk in at that moment. This resulted in Ryouga passing out cold in embarrassment. 

Phoenix might have been a six-foot tall green alien half-breed, but she was still a girl.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*

Yet, wait, there's more…

The irony, or perversity, the jury is still out, of Fate, is something that people will always be in awe of. Because, at exactly the moment Phoenix had gotten over gaping at the nude Ryouga, and was trying to pull him out, her father walked in.

Piccolo did not have any experience with being a father, but there are instincts that are universal. So, he promptly roared at the hentai who had apparently attacked his little girl.

Ryouga chose at this moment to wake up, saw a giant green man speeding towards him, and bolted out of the water, dragging the confused, bewildered, and really red faced Phoenix with him. 

Here, Phoenix started yelling at her father to calm down, trying to be heard over the yelling of the enraged Namek. This didn't help matters, because it convinced Piccolo that this guy was still trying to do something with his little girl, and caught the naked boy by the throat.

"Piccolo- stop, its not what it looks like!"

"I don't care if you are from a different time, you are still my daughter, and I will not allow you to bring in boys-"

"He was in a cursed-"

"Damn right, he's cursed. I will kill him for his perversity-"

"WILL YOU ALL SHUT UP?"

Turning, they all saw Usagi, wrapped in bathrobe, mussed, and looking annoyed. Piccolo, seeing his mate in such a state, pointed, and she was in her usual fighting clothes. Phoenix did the same thing, and Ryouga was in much the same thing she had first met him in. Piccolo turned back to the naked pervert, only to find him dressed.

"Phoenix-"

She raised her hand, and managed to fling him off her friend.

"Piccolo, will you listen? I lived the better part of eleven years without an overprotective father, and I don't need one now!"

Ryouga shook his head, confused, while Usagi tittered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ami and Trunks were having a blast at the amusement park. It should be noted, that Trunks had never been to one before, and he was used to techno-babble, and was able to understand Ami's rambling about how the roller coasters worked.

Believe it or not, he was having the time of his life, and had absently threaded his fingers through hers…

Nibbling her cotton candy, Ami had no desire to tell him. His had was warm, calloused, and gentle, and he really smelled nice, he could keep up with her as conversation ranged carelessly from topic to topic… Something few people ever did.

Then, she felt something wrong.

A Sailor Senshi does have senses that others have, ones that differ from the ki senses of the Z warriors. It was negative, and it was coming.

Trunks felt his almost girlfriend stiffen at his side.

"What's wrong?" he whispered. Oh, no, he thought, I did something to offend her- and things were going so nicely-

"I…sense…negativity."

"What do you mean?"

She turned to him, her huge blue eyes even wider than normal. 

"Something bad is coming. Really bad. We need to get the others."

To be continued…

A/N: sorry this took so long, and I will explain having the Nerima people soon. I just kind of got sidetracked. 

Larania


	28. XXVIII

Special Training XXVIII

** **

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z belongs to Funimation, and Akira Toriyama, not me, and I make no money from this at all.

Trying to be nonchalant, Ami gripped Trunks hand tighter, and started walking to the edge of the amusement park, all the while lamenting the end of their date.

_Why, of all times, did this have to end now? _She groused internally, and huffed.

Trunks was thinking about the same thing, and red was staining his cheeks, as he thought about how he had wanted to give her a goodnight kiss, before taking her home…

They hit the edge of the park quickly, and Ami found herself being swept up in his arms. She gasped, and wrapped her arms around the demi-Saiya-jin's neck. Smiling to herself, she thought, maybe this wasn't such a bad thing after all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Phoenix, I hate it when my father goes ballistic on me, so, you will get one chance to explain this," said Usagi, barely holding back laughter, as she gestured towards the pale Ryouga.

"Phoenix, what are you?" he asked, looking at his tall friend.

Phoenix turned her attention to her mother, and tried giving her a cold look. Usagi just looked amused.

"I found Ryouga after I finished some business. He was lost, and I volunteered to take him back to wherever he had come from. From there, we went to Nerima-"

Usagi had a look on her face that said it all made sense to her now. She nodded. "I've heard of Nerima. You don't have to say much else."

Piccolo growled. _He_ hadn't heard of Nerima, and so had no idea what strangeness went on there as a matter of course.

"For some reason, I was splashed with water, and the makeup I was using ran off. Ryouga turned into a pig…" Phoenix said, and Ryouga blushed. 

"I loose all my clothes when I do that," he told the still growling Piccolo. "I was about to get stepped on when Phoenix grabbed me. They called her a freak, and she took off flying… How can you fly?" he asked her, and Phoenix answered, "Its easy."

Shaking his head, trying to get some sense of reality back, he said," I went to the 'furo to change back, and Phoenix walked in on me, and I fainted. The next thing I knew, that green guy was coming after me!" he exclaimed looking at Piccolo like he was afraid the other man might attack again.

Piccolo looked like he just might.

"Papa," Phoenix said, surprising herself. "I haven't been born yet, and you are already overprotective."

Ryouga's head snapped around.

"Papa?" he asked, confused, but the similarities were too much for him to doubt. He was about to ask some other questions, when a purple haired young man walked in, carrying a blue haired girl. Both looked disappointed when he put her down.

"Guys?" asked Ami, seeing the newcomer. Shrugging, she went on. "I have bad news. Usagi, do you sense it?"

Usagi looked at her curiously, and then tilted her head to the side. Closing her eyes in concentration, she reached out- and sensed something that had her running for the bathroom as she heaved her guts out.

"Its strange," Ami said, following her, with the boys in tow. Phoenix, in concern, was kneeling beside her. "The power is very negative. It is also familiar, in more ways than one."

Piccolo was also trying to sense whatever it was that had the Ami on the ropes, his face a grim mask. Then, his eyes snapped open.

"I sense Saiya-jins," he said flatly, and Ami looked at him like he was crazy.

"No, it feels nothing like Trunks and Gohan!" she yelped, stepping back, into Trunks' warm embrace.

"It feels like- Metalia," Usagi whispered, wiping her mouth.

"Could someone tell me what is going on here?" asked Ryouga, scratching his head.

"Later," snapped, Usagi. "We need to get the others here, Ami, okay?"

Ami nodded, and they both grabbed their communicators, and started calling the others, even Rei and Mamoru.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ryouga watched with bemusement as the blue haired girl, and the blond started to whip out some strange looking devices. They seemed to be calling people with them.

He turned to Phoenix. The was standing there, biting her nails, like she was trying to think hard about something, and was having a rough time with it. He shrugged to himself. He guessed that now was as good a time as any…

"Phoenix? What are you?"

Turning to him, she sighed, and started to tell him a story, that had he not had proof in front of him; he would have thought was completely crazy.

Then, maybe not. After all, he did spend most of his time in Nerima.

"I don't know what to say about that…" Ryouga said, and turned away. Phoenix nodded to herself, like she had expected something like that, then offered," Would you like me to fly you back?"

Ryouga grimaced.

"I can't. At least not for a little while, not until Akane has gotten over P-Chan. It would hurt too much," he grinned crookedly. "Literally."

Phoenix snorted.

They could here the sounds of feet, as the closer Senshi made it.

Gohan beat them all there, however.

"You're that guy who turned into a pig, aren't you?" he asked, as soon as he saw Ryouga. Ryouga groaned, and slapped his hands over his face.

"What's the situation?" someone asked, and Piccolo said, succinctly:

"Saiya-jins."

"That's not possible-" said Haruka, but Setsuna shook her head.

"It is possible. This is a big universe."

"That's not all, you guys. I sensed Metalia," said Ami, who had already transformed, doing what she did best, and was scanning, getting information.

"METALIA?" gasped all present, including Rei and Mamoru, who were in the background.

"They can't be related, can they?" asked Chibi-Usa softly, voicing everyone's fear. 

Sailor Mercury looked to the Z Senshi and Usagi for confirmation, and Usagi nodded grimly.

"I'm afraid," she answered slowly, gulping in fear," that it's so."

The moment seemed frozen still, as the worst nightmare they could have imagined. The scene would have been funny, to anyone who would have seen it. Ten girls, all standing in the bathroom of a house from another dimension, with a two half aliens, a full alien, and a man who turned into a pig. Yet, it was deathly serious.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Metalia smiled from inside her new host body, and stroked that body's beard.

Beryl had been so weak compared to this new species… she would finally get her revenge on the White Moon Family, which had sealed her way so long ago.

She hissed menacingly to herself. There were several readouts about Earth on the screen, most of which containing information that she already knew. Her mind drifted back to her first humiliating defeat by Queen Serenity. On the verge of her greatest victory, she had been sealed away. 

There was a loud cracking sound, as her hand crushed the arm of the chair she was sitting in. The Throne in the middle of the command deck was not a comfortable seat, but it should have held up to King Vegeta's temper better.

Metalia again skimmed the readouts, when something caught her eye.

"Second, what is this about the planet being purged already?"

"Sire," the taller man said, trembling. King Vegeta had always been ruthless, but in all the Kings before, this one had been the cruelest.

Metalia listened as he told them of the pod that had lost contact with planet Vegeta long before.

"It was the standard third class child sent?" Metalia asked, and was affirmed. 

She stroked her beard again. She knew, from the dates before her, that the infant had to have been there when she had fought Princess Serenity and lost. 

She dismissed the thought as unimportant.

What mattered was her revenge. She cackled insanely in her stolen body, planning her vengeance, dreaming of the little, weak princess' screams, tasting her blood, making her watch as her beloved earth was laid bare…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Can you tell how many Saiya-jins there are? How long it will take for them to get here? How is Metalia involved?" fired out Usagi, as she paced, still in her robe, around the living room of the capsule house.

"I can't give you any numbers yet," said Ami, who was sitting next to Trunks, her face ashen. Trunks had his arm around her shoulder, but she was so worried she couldn't even take comfort in that.

"We shouldn't have any trouble with them, should we?" said Gohan, who was perched on the edge of a table, still avoiding the single-minded pursuit of Chibi-Usa. "Me and Trunks are Super Saiya-jins, you're the Eclipse, we have Piccolo, who is stronger than basic Super-Saiya-jin, and however strong Phoenix is-" he looked to her and she sighed.

"I'm as strong as a Super Saiya-jin," she said succinctly.

"There, we don't have anything to worry about," said Trunks, trying to comfort Ami some more.

"If they are aligned with Metalia, then we definitely have something to worry about," she answered him, burying her face in his shoulder.

Phoenix looked at him soberly. "These aren't the Saiya-jins you are used to, either, Trunks. I have never been to this dimension before. Just while this is a parallel earth, these are a different set of Saiya-jins. They might be working for Frieza, they might not. They could have discovered how to turn Super Saiya-jin, but then, they might not."

"So, anything goes?" asked Ryouga. Phoenix looked to him, and nodded.

"Metalia is a very powerful magical, malevolent force. Combine that with the force of the Saiya-jins," added Ami, grimly.

"Can I help?" asked Ryogua, shyly, and everyone turned to him. He went defensive. "I'm a good martial artist."

"That might not be enough," said Piccolo, and Phoenix finished," These people are incredibly powerful."

"I bet I could beat one of those girls," he said, pointing to the Sailor Senshi. Phoenix weighed their powers in her mind, and reluctantly agreed.

"Well, then, that means we have to train!" shouted Makoto, while Minako noticed the new boy, and started drooling.

Ryogua backed up several steps. Minako in 'man-hunter' mode is scarier then Phoenix.

"Train?" said Rei, confused.

"If Usagi could get so much more powerful, then maybe we could to!" she said gleefully.

Sweat drop.

It was a collective thing, as they all thought about it.

"I'm in," said Ami, as she snuggled closer to Trunks. He got a goofy smile on his face, and Minako pouted.

"I'm in," she sighed, and turned her gaze back to Ryouga, and drooling commenced.

Makoto winked. They already knew her opinion. 

The Outers looked at each other, and nodded simultaneously. 

Rei cocked her head to the side, and glanced at Mamoru. 

"We'll fight," she said reluctantly.

Chibi-Usa was drooling at Gohan, as he edged away.

Usagi smiled. "So, we start tomorrow?" she asked.

"We will, but you won't," said Piccolo, pushing her down onto a couch.

"WHAT?" she screeched.

"You are not going to be fighting," he told her flatly. "Remember the baby."

Usagi opened her mouth to answer, then crossed her arms across her chest, and pouted cutely.

"That won't work on me," Piccolo protested.

Usagi sighed, and glared daggers at him, then relented. He had a point.

"Other than the one on his head," she muttered under her breath.

Piccolo didn't answer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Incoming message, sire," said a voice, and Metalia looked up.

Metalia looked at the face on the screen.

"I never would have thought…"

To be continued!


	29. XXIX

A Special Training XXIX

Sorry to everybody whose been waiting for this next chapter. My RL is hell.

Larania

A Special Training XXIX

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z belongs to Akira Toriyama, and Sailor Moon belongs to someone other than me. I make no money from this piece of fanfic.

"The world is in danger?" Ryouga asked again, looking at Phoenix. She nodded, and looked the Senshi over. 

"Do we have enough time to train them?" she asked, a little disappointed.

Sailor Pluto cocked her head the side. "Time may not be a problem."

Usagi shot her a look. "What to do you mean?

"Time is my element, we only need to find a way to get you there."

Phoenix looked at Pluto, and sighed. 

"She means that she can do something like the Room of Spirit and Time, you guys,"

There was a confused murmur as they Senshi tried to remember what she was talking about, and then realization dawned on their faces.

"So we can train? And get as strong as Usagi?" said Makoto, eyes bright, and cracked her knuckles.

_Well, maybe they have a little more potential than I though,_ Phoenix thought, looking them up and down. 

Usagi felt a slow grin spread across her face at her friend's eagerness… This was better than she could have hoped for…

"Can I help?" asked Ryouga, timidly. Everyone looked at him, and another round of explanations started.

It finally boiled down to-

"We need all the help we can get," Usagi whispered, and they turned to her. Gohan, Trunks and Piccolo didn't look like they understood what they were afraid of, but the Sailor Senshi did, and all nodded.

"So," Usagi started, taking command. "We go to wherever Puu has in mind, and I train you-"

"You will do no such thing," barked Piccolo looking down at his tiny lover. The two glared at each other for several moments.

"If I don't teach them, who will?" she snapped back at him.

"I ca- you planned that, didn't you?" he grumbled, eyes widening with realization.

Usagi smiled obscurely, holding her serious demeanor for half a minute, before cracking up. "You did it to yourself, koibito!"

There was round of soft giggles, and Phoenix piped up. "Trunks-kun, Gohan-san, Ryouga-kun and I can help train them," she said, looking at the males.

"Why me?" Ryouga gulped, wondering what this strange group would do to him- he didn't want to wind up in a miniskirt.

The demi-Namek looked at him. "Your form is damn good, Ryouga. And your style is interesting. While you don't have the same power as us high octane fighters," she said, and gestured towards herself and the other Z-senshi, "its only a matter of practice- I sense great strength in you- more so than a normal human."

Ryouga sort of laughed at that and put his hand behind his head. "I'm a martial artist," he answered, and shrugged. "I said I would help, and I will."

"Okay- we go to train?" said Usagi, again, commanding the situation.

The Sailors nodded, except-

"I don't see why," said Mamoru, looking at them in contempt. "Why would you girls want to become muscle bound meat heads like Odango?"

Rei quickly nodded, agreeing with him, and turned to leave. 

"What?" was heard, along with other exclamations of shock. They couldn't believe what they were hearing!

"We defeated Metallia last time, and we can do it again," he said carelessly/ "As for the Saiya-jins, well, that's what we have those muscle bound brutes for, right?" He casually pointed at Piccolo and the others.

Everyone watched in horror as he left the room, followed by Rei.

Chibi-Usa turned to follow-

"You don't have to do what they say, you know," Phoenix hissed to her, and Chibu-Usa turned to them, looking frightened- and ran to Usagi.

"I'll fight too!" she declared, and everyone gave a sigh of relief.

"Pluto? Take us-"

"Not you," Piccolo protested again. "And Phoenix will stay here to take care of you."

"ALRIGHT! Take _them_ to wherever you had in mind, and you all start training- we have a real time month- I had four years. I don't know if you can compress it that much, Pluto… But do what you can. Me and Phoenix will be out here getting information."

Without any warming, Setsuna henshined, and struck her staff to the floor- and those that had agreed to train had gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"What the?" asked Trunks, as he looked a dark mists around him.

"Where are we?" 

"In the place between times," answered Pluto, and the girls nodded. Trunks, Piccolo Gohan and Ryouga were unnerved, but the Sailor Senshi didn't look bothered at all.

His eyebrows cocked at that. He had thought, from what he had seen so far, that these girls were weak, and unable to handle strange situations…

He thought about the strange clothes they wore to fight- and revised what he thought. These girls WERE strange.

"SO!" said a disturbingly cheerful voice, and he turned to see Makoto looking at him like he was her prey…

He was a Saiya-jin prince- how did these girls make him feel like that?

"What's up first?"

Piccolo grunted, and gestured- and all the girls were in the weighted clothing he had put Usagi in- with similar results.

All of them, save the Outers and Ryouga, fell over. Only Lost Boy didn't look strained- until Piccolo added more weights…

"What did you do that for?" he complained, looking up at the tall Namek from this position on the floor.

"Added training- and you being a hentai towards my daughter!"

Ryouga was bright enough not to answer that.

Pluto, dismissing her transformation, walked over to him difficulty.

"I can change the terrain here, to suit anything you would wish, sensei," she told him, and bowed. The other girls noticed and turned towards Piccolo respectfully.

Piccolo grimaced. If these girls were anything like the way Usagi was… at first, he would have to go slowly- but as the lady said, they had all the time in the world here.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After the Senshi has disappeared, Usagi and Phoenix were left in an uneasy silence.

"I guess it's just us to watch things, huh?" Usagi said, trying to break the ice.

Phoenix nodded, and they still just sort of stared at each other.

Phoenix was trying desperately to think of something to do or say- so she did what she had seen her 'aunt' do numerous times to break the tension.

"I'll go make some tea!" she squeaked, and scurried out of the room, while Usagi started to chuckle. Her daughter seemed so young at times, while others presenting the front of an aged warrior. 

Tilting her head to the side, she thought about the young man that had come back with her- and smirked when she thought about some of the looks he had tossed her daughter's way. So- some crush material there?

All of a sudden, she worried. What did she know about this boy? Did Phoenix know how to take care of herself?

Hell- if Piccolo was the one to raise her, did she even know that it took boys and girls to reproduce?

Turning, she looked to see her daughter entering, so gracefully that the teacups didn't rattle in the slightest.

But when she saw her mother staring at her, Phoenix jumped- and had to use her super speed to keep the tea from spilling.

"So, Phoenix," Usagi said brightly," Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

Phoenix, who had been taking a sip of her tea, choked. The tea sprayed the table in front of her, and she looked at her mother in amazement, before a towel was thrown in her face.

"WHAT KIND of a QUESTION is THAT?" Phoenix barked back, shocked.

"An important one. I AM your mother- am I not? I think I deserve to know…"

"A Namek does not feel such urges," Phoenix quickly replied, before Usagi burst out laughing.

"You're… (giggle) FULL-BLOODED Namek FATHER, thought the same thing!" she snickered, and nearly fell backwards.

Then she sat back up quickly, seeing the near despair in the girl's face.

"Oh, Phoenix-chan, I am so sorry! There was someone, wasn't there?" she whispered. Usagi struggled to her daughter's side, and wrapped her arms around the green skinned girl.

Phoenix whimpered softly, and put her head on her mother's shoulder.

It was hard for her to get the words around the lump in her throat.

"Gohan."

Usagi jumped.

"Gohan?"

Usagi felt, rather than saw, her nod. "He- it was just a crush, I guess… He, and Chichi, raised me after Papa- Papa killed himself… Only person who understood me, c-c-cared about what happened…" she sniffed loudly.

"But I was always his little sister, even though I grew up so fast…"

_Oh, my little one, _Usagi thought. _You grew up TOO fast. Far too fast for your own good. Gohan was too old for you, and he knew it. But you won't, this time. I promise._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ami yelped as she dodged a kick from Ryouga, rolled on the ground, trying to sweep his legs out from under him.

She partially succeeded- he fell, but then Haruka stomped her on.

Her breath was knocked from her lungs, and she had trouble moving.

"Ami-chan?" yelped Trunks, before Chibi-Usa ran out to use her crystal to heal her.

"I'm sorry, Ami!" hissed Haruka as she and Ryouga knelt by her.

"Oh, no you were supposed to!' she tried to reassure them, weakly, before hacking up blood.

Then the cool light of Chibi-Usa's crystal washed over her, and the Senshi of Ice was once again well.

"Damn, am I glad you came with us, Bunny," Trunks whispered, using the English translation of her name- the little girl with the cone like buns just seemed more like a bunny than Usagi.

Bunny smirked at him.

Piccolo saw that, and sighed. The tiny moon princess had been a blessing and a curse. For one thing, she seemed bent on pursuing Gohan, who had NO intention of being caught, and she seemed so much like his Usagi… It made his heart ache. He missed her.

"Thinking about your girl?" said a ridiculously perky voice beside him. Sighing, he turned towards Minako. The chirpy blond had a knowing look on her face, one he itched to slap away.

"For your information," Piccolo snapped, trying to cover himself. How did she do that? "For you're information, I was THINKING about how impossible it is to train a pack of magically dependent, hair-brained girls who think that shopping is a martial art! You bunch are some of the most PATHETIC bunch of cry babies-"

**WHAM**

Piccolo looked up from his new position on the floor, at the furious Sailor Venus standing over him. And a large sword was digging into his throat.

He blinked several times, surprised to see the eyes of an old campaigner showing out of her sky blue orbs.

"Don't move- this is sword is poisonous."

Piccolo froze.

"I am the leader of the four Senshi that protect the Princess. We have died for her. _I_ was the one that used THIS sword to kill Queen Beryl, who destroyed our Kingdom in the past, and tried to in our present. I was Usagi's decoy. I was the one who gave the order that we give up our life energy to reawaken the princess after Metallia stole her. We earned the right to peace, to living normal lives."

Gesturing with her sword, Sailor Venus went on," We would die for her again. For some reason, she loves you. I sense that. So- I won't kill you for what you said I know you love her, as well. You make her happy- and by Kami-sama, I will defend that. As the Soldier of Love, it is my job."

"I am the Soldier of Protection," said Makoto, coming up from behind her. "I will stand between Usagi and harm with my last breath. With the blessings of Jupiter, that is my call."

"Queen Serenity called me the Senshi of Wisdom… I don't know how true that is, but I know that my gifts lie in the area of planning and strategy. I will use that for my Princess, even if she has renounced the Throne."

Piccolo blinked and rubbed his eyes, as the three girls were cast into shadows, forms that seemed to settle on them like cloaks. Cold radiated from the transparent shape that had once been Ami Mizuno. Lightening crackled from the eyes of the white gi and green tunic clad shape that had ghosted over Makoto Kino, and the leader…

Shining gold Roman style armor dressed Minako, over a gleaming white tunic and sandals, making her weary eyes more prominent…

_They have them too…_Piccolo thought in amazement. The rest of the Sailor Senshi- they had forbidden transformations, too!

Whipping around, he saw the Outers- Neptune, who was fisting a trident and seemed to be shifting and swirling like the tides. Uranus, in desert robes, regal as any Arabian prince, scimitar in hand. 

The cold void burned in Pluto's eyes, clad in black and gold. The cloak swirled around her, hinting at stars in their folds.

"Piccolo-san… am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" asked a soft voice at his elbow. Looking behind him, he saw Gohan's eyes bulge.

"They all… Damn, how could I have been so wrong?"

Gohan shuddered. "We judged them by Rei and Mamoru- we already knew that Ami was okay… "

Getting to his feet, Piccolo carefully pushed the sword away from his neck.

"I apologize," he ground out. Piccolo rarely did that… and he felt like he was pulling his own teeth.

Piccolo felt something twist inside his gut- an emotion he had little experience with. Jealousy…

These girls had a piece of Usagi to themselves, one that he would never be able to touch. She held her title of Princess in honor- in a way that Vegeta, exiled royalty, never would. These people would die for her. In point of fact, they had, and would over again… willingly, with a smile on their faces, because she would do the same without thinking about it.

Had he ever been loved like that?

Had he ever loved someone like that?

Closing his eyes, he couldn't help but feel cold and alone, on the outside… When a hand took his. His eyes snapping open, he saw that Venus had taken it, and gripped it tightly.

"She loves you- and that makes you one of us."

Blinking several times, he felt someone else clutch his free hand, and he knew from the size that it was Gohan's… The only other person whom he had ever cared about…

"See? I told you," said Venus, who smirked. 

_Damn, how does she do that?_

Jupiter took Venus' hand, who was joined by Mercury- who pulled Trunks with her. The Outers joined next, with Pluto lightly grasping the elder demi-Saiya-jin's hand, hers held by Haruka. She and Neptune shared a loving glance before Michiru took Gohan's smaller, powerful hand in hers. 

The circle closed, and there was a chain- love and confidence, and _acceptance_ flowed freely through it… 

Shyly, Bunny looked over at them, and lightly put her hand on Venus'. She was pulled in, and they seemed complete.

Until they sensed someone who was watching this warm union with the kind of despair that only one who had never been a part of anything would feel.

It was a sadness that tugged at Piccolo's once black heart. He empathized with it…

Letting go of Gohan's hand, he reached out to Ryouga, and pulled him in as well, seeing his mind, his loneliness. The few happy, bright points of friendship flashed by- and meeting a bandana wearing girl, who had, not knowing him, taken him home, and accepted his curse without quibble.

Piccolo could almost laugh as he saw what had happened when they had met, seeing the truth of what happened in the bathroom, and that this really was a decent person.

And then he was part of the circle too.

For a moment- things were great, and all was at peace.

"Come on," Piccolo said gruffly, letting go of their hands. "We have work to do."

They all looked at him humorously- they knew he wasn't the ogre he liked to pretend to be.

"K, girls- we have a bunch mean tailed Aliens to fight!" shouted Venus, and there was a cheer so loud that it made the boys wince.

"Do you MIND?" roared Piccolo.

"Oops," giggled Minako.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**sigh**

"What's wrong, Mother?" asked Phoenix, turning to her mother, who had her hands on her belly, staring off into space and sighing like a wounded cow.

"I miss them."

"Oh," was all Phoenix could do to reply. There were few people she had ever known that could evoke such a response from her- she had calloused herself long ago against feelings of affection.

"Why?"

Usagi looked at her like she was crazy. "They're my friends."

The two women looked at each other, finding a bridge that neither could cross right then. 

It had been about two weeks, for Phoenix and Usagi that the others had left to train. In that time, Phoenix had watched her mother's girth expand at an alarming rate- and Usagi had been despondent without her Piccolo there.

Casting about for a different topic of conversation, Phoenix tried to focus on the task at hand.

"We know they will be here soon- and that the Sailor Senshi have a good chance of getting bigger power-ups. But…"

"The boys, I know," sighed Usagi, again, resting her chin in her hands. They were at the capsule house, still, and were sitting around the table, sharing tea- with several piles of food near Usagi. She had started to bizarre foods…

"We both know it takes incredible rage to fuel a Super Saiya-jin transformation- and we don't even know if they can go beyond what they have reached," Usagi continued. Phoenix looked like she was about to say something, then stopped.

"Also a LOT of training. With the girls to work with, they won't be able to concentrate much on their own abilities," pointed out Phoenix. "And- Father can't get any stronger either. At least I don't think so. Nameks are mostly peaceful. He'd be considered an aberration on his home world."

"Then what can we do? We have NO idea how powerful this batch of Saiya-jins are," Usagi said in despair.

"They're just a bunch of big stinky stupid monkeys," Phoenix said flippantly. "How much trouble can they be?"

"Monkeys…" her mother mumbled, suddenly thoughtful. "Why did you call them that?"

"Because of their tails- that's what they are, monkeys."

Something simple that they had overlooked flashed through Usagi's mind- something that would be a BIG help…

Whipping out her Crystal broach, she opened it.

"Mother?" 

"I wish that all the Saiya-jins on this planet would have their tails restored!" she demanded- and the crystal flashed.

Phoenix blinked.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"OH! KAMI-SAMA!" yelled three voices. The girls had all by then reached their Eternal forms- and were finally able to keep up with the boys in their non-morphed forms.

Bunny was fighting Gohan- and doing a good job of it. Where she had lacked in power, she was making up with speed and technique. To her sudden shock, Gohan had doubled over, and was wailing in pain- and there was a loud ripping sound.

Then she whirled around, to hear Trunks, who had been sparring with Makoto, do the same thing.

Pretty much all the girls were just dumbfounded. They KNEW it had nothing to do with them…

Bunny laughed when a fluffy brown tail with ruddy highlights started to twitch behind him- then stopped when she saw how much pain he was in.

"Gohan, you okay?" she asked, and hefted him to his feet. Over the time they had been there- and Gohan had put his foot down that NO WAY was he interested in her- they had started to be friends. Partly because of the lack of romance, and that Bunny had found out that Gohan never had anyone to play with. Thus- she had started to play dress up with him, and had made him so embarrassed over THAT, that he had forgotten about her flirting with him.

Ami was huddled over Trunks, taking his vitals while he protested, staring at his lavender tail, which, to his embarrassment, had wrapped itself around Ami's waist.

Then there was a terrified scream.

Ryouga's eyes flicked back and forth between the two Saiya-jins- and then down. All the fighters present lost their jaws as they saw what was going on-

Ryouga had a tail.

To be continued!


	30. XXX

A Special Training XXX

****

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon belong to people other than me, and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

            Usagi watched the sleeping Phoenix late one night, eyes tracing and memorizing the gentle face of her first born. The cares of the day fell from her features as she slept, and Usagi saw the child that should have been, peaking out from behind its harsh mask.

            Her hand went down to rub her very swollen belly. The fact that she had a little person inside her was… horrible and thrilling and terrifying at the same time. She had no idea what she was going to do, but she was determined to live through it to give her daughter a mother. 

            It happened once- a daughter loosing her family to Metallia. It wouldn't happen again.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            There was a round of staring going on the place between times.

            "Dude has a tail," commented Minako, eloquently.

            More staring. Lots of staring…

            "WHY THE HELL DO I HAVE A TAIL??" Ryouga finally screamed, staring at the dark chocolate brown fur of his new appendage. He made the mistake of trying to pull it.

            "HOLY SHIT!" he roared in pain, falling over and writhing.

            Always the levelheaded one, Mercury cued her VR visor, and started to take readings off Ryouga. However, to be sure, she went over to him, yanked a few hairs off his head, and did an analysis on them. Then to cross check, she went and did the same to Trunks and Gohan- both of them yelling when she did so.

            "It seems that you are a full blooded Saiya-jin, Ryouga-kun," she said calmly, looking at the readouts. 

            Needless to say, Trunks and Gohan's jaws hit the floor, while Ryouga sputtered.

            "I've always been on earth! EARTH!" he said, fits smashing the floor, leaving deep cracks.

            "You cannot refute that you have a tail, for whatever reason," said Piccolo, decisively.

            Ryouga sat on the floor, still staring at his new appendage. "What does this mean?" he whispered.

            "I have an idea," said Gohan finally getting up and threading his tail around his waist. "We don't know WHY they suddenly grew back, but if there are Saiya-jins in this universe, it stands to reason that they would also be in the planet trade, and that they would send someone to Earth to clear it off as well. Were you adopted?" he asked, directing his question to Ryouga.

            The stunned young man nodded. Cautiously, he wrapped the soft furry length around his waist, which felt oddly natural. "But I thought it was because I was always lost. I wandered away from home, and my parents found me…"

            Jupiter looked at him with sympathy. She knew how he felt. "So, you've been wandering around your whole life?"

            Ryouga slowly nodded again. "Yeah, I've always been trying to find my way home… No matter what I am trying to find, its like looking for home has always been in the back of my mind."

            "Do you think it might have something to do with being a Saiya-jin? You knew your home wasn't earth, and that you subconsciously kept looking for a way home?"

            "But, but," he stuttered, "You say these people are bad, evil, that they are everything a martial artist stands against! I am supposed to protect people, help them! I can't do that if I was here to exterminate the place!"

            "Ah," said Makoto, nodding. "No wonder you are so messed up- you have a major conflict in your most basic of desires."

            Everyone looked at her.

            She sweat dropped. "What? I took a psyche class last semester."

            "I'm an alien?" Ryouga said to no on in particular, still somewhat in shock.

            "You're in good company," said Piccolo dryly. "Remember- no matter what your blood is, your conscience is your own. Do what your heart tells you is right."

            Ryouga glowered. "You really think I would turn against a planet that has never done me any wrong?" He made a face. "Sorry, but this IS my home, and I will fight for it."

            Suddenly he was swarmed under by a group of very happy girls, all hugging and kissing him like he was a long lost brother. 

            This produced the predictable effect of Ryouga passing out cold.

~*~*~*~*~

            Time passes quickly when one is waiting for something, yet the individual moment itself stretches out forever. This was how Phoenix felt, as the days started to count down until the Saiya-jins and Metallia arrived. 

            Her mother would watch her out of the corner of her eye, as the taller girl sat looking out of the window, while she and HER mother bonded, shopped for baby clothes, and generally prepared themselves for another member of the family to arrive. 

            Which meant a LOT of fussing.

            Phoenix just bit her tongue and endured it, though on some level she found it nice. She was finally getting the sense of family that she had never had before… 

            Her split form was coming in VERY handy lately. She had been able to stay with her mother, and protect her, while she shadowed Rei and Mamoru. Her teeth clenched at the thought.

            Suddenly evil energy SCREAMED across her senses, jangling her nerves like nails on a chalkboard. She let out an ear splitting howl, and stood, Usagi a breath behind her. Both knew that feel- what it was.

            They looked at each other, blue eyes meeting from across the room.

            "They're here."

~*~*~*~*~*~

            Both of them flew to see where the strongest of the emanations where coming from. Following their senses, they saw a circular vessel. It was giant, looking like some kind of warped water bug, bloated and impossible.

            "That thing is hideous," Phoenix muttered, and was echoed by Usagi, both of them staring at the monstrosity beneath them.

            "What do you think we should do?" asked Phoenix, biting her bottom lip. She was the type who liked to attack first, ask questions later, but even she knew they were grossly outnumbered here.

            "If it was just the Saiya-jins, I'd say no problem," answered her mother. "We need to land, we don't want them to sense us."

            Without another word, they both descended, touching down lightly, and getting to some cover. The ship had landed in the mountains, and was hidden from general view.

            "Why are they being quiet about this?" whispered Usagi rhetorically. "The Saiya-jins I know have enough bravado to try to take over worlds by themselves, and just walk in and start blasting. Are they are trying to catch us by surprise? Would Metallia be that stupid?"

            Phoenix shook her head. "I don't know. There is the possibility that is why, or she could just be being cautious."

            "Think she can sense us?"

            "I haven't a damned clue…"

            "So, basically, we sit here and do nothing while waiting to see what happens?"

            "Sounds about right to me."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "I'm an alien?" asked Ryouga again, still staring at his tail.

            "Give it a rest, its been three weeks!" shouted Piccolo, who was sparring with the confused Lost Boy-turned-Saiya-jin. He launched a kick at his head, which made Ryouga come out of his daze, again, and conduct a proper defense. 

            Stillness overtook the place between times, and Piccolo and Ryouga realized they were the only ones moving. The girls were all staring off into the distance, their faces shell shocked.

            Trunks walked over to Pluto and waved his hand over her face, and got no reaction.

            "I have no idea what they are doing," he muttered, and then looked at Ami, who was biting her lip so hard, it bled. The rest had various expressions of distress on their faces.

            "You guys don't sense it?" croaked Bunny, who came up beside them, her tri-layer skirts trembling. The males all shook their heads.

            "We have to leave, now," said Pluto, suddenly morphing. The rest of the girls followed suit, into their Eternal forms. They looked at each other.

            "You haven't hit your Forbidden Stages yet!" cried Piccolo, folding his arms. "We don't know if you will be able to handle what is coming!"

            "SCREW THAT!" 

            Piccolo flinched at the yell from Minako, seeing at a leader had suddenly emerged. Turning to Pluto, she nodded, and the green haired woman gestured. Her time key appeared, and struck it to the floor.

            After so long, they were going back to their proper time, to face the evil they sensed.

~*~*~*~*~

            The two moon princesses stood vigil over the nasty bug ship, crouched and taut as wire. However, they hadn't kept their posts for very long when Usagi gave a twinge.

            "What's wrong?" whispered Phoenix, not looking at her.

            "Uh, nothing," mumbled Usagi, rubbing her belly. "More bad sushi…"

            Phoenix looked at her strangely, then shrugged and turned away. "I think I'll go scout around, we need to get more information." Usagi nodded and made to get up.

            "No way," Phoenix muttered, and sat her back down. "Papa would kill me. You stay here." 

            Usagi blinked at Phoenix increased her power level, and was suddenly two people. "I can scout out, and people won't notice me. YOU STAY HERE!" she said emphatically, in stereo, while Usagi's eyes tried to bug out. The green skinned girls skulked away, and then Usagi noticed how her eyes no longer wanted to focus on her. It was like she was so unimportant that until she trained herself on her daughter, she would not see her, and not care, forgetting the moment her eyes trailed away.

            The incarnation of Eclipse sighed, and grunted, another pain shooting through her. She frowned. She tried rubbing her bloated mid section again, but it didn't work until the pain faded on its own.

            Surprise made her pause, and sudden and inexplicable pains that occurred regularly added up inside her mind-, which ran to an inevitable conclusion.

            "I'm in-"

            "A LOT of trouble," said a familiar voice from behind her. Turning, and swearing colorfully, she didn't get the time to power up before a cane tried to dent her head in.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            "They're not here," said Piccolo, after coming out of the capsule house. Ami and Trunks had just returned from asking the Tsukinos where their daughter was.

            "Her mom said that they left suddenly about three hours ago," replied Trunks, who was looking very fidgety.

            "WE MUST FIND KONEKO!" yelled Haruka, fists clenched. "She must be near her time by now!"

            Piccolo's eyes widened. "Phoenix wouldn't have let her get hurt, would she?"

            "If she was safe, there is no way," mumbled Ryouga, tail lashing behind him, thinking.

            Piccolo eyed the Lost Boy. There had been odd flashes of protectiveness towards his future daughter during their training-, which he greatly approved of. Of course, that did NOT mean that he was going to let them date. No way.

            The sense of evil that they had been tracking was too strong for them to ignore, and it was logical that Usagi and Phoenix had gone to check it out.

            "I don't know about you guys, but I can't sense either of them," whispered Minako, forehead furrowed. "I think they were captured."

            "What are you talking about?" said Makoto, eyes wide. She didn't want to believe that had happened…

            "We have to fear the worst you guys. Okay, our strongest fighters still seem to be you boys, so you are going to go and think of up some kind of strategy. I want Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna to do the same. Us inners are going to go and scout around, see what is going on, got that? We'll come back when we know more," ordered Minako, hands on her hips, looking into the faces of everyone there. No one there could think of anything better, or tried to contradict her.

            Wait-

            "What if you get captured?" said Ryouga, face marred with concentration. 

            Minako looked at him. "We'll set a contact point- if we aren't back in an hour, give us another twenty minutes, and if we aren't back by then, assume we have been captured. Hopefully one of us will make it back with news. We know this is more important than our own lives- we are given to our princess. Duh, now, huddle over?" She clapped her hands. "Break and let's kick some Saiya-jin ass!"

            The Saiya-jins of their group looked at her like she was bonkers, shrugged and went into the house to hash over plans, and Minako and her group ran off, in the direction they sensed the evil coming from.

            "Think this plan will work?" asked Trunks, unlimbering his sword and getting out a sharpening stone, his mind already full of bad things that could happen to Ami while he wasn't there.

            Piccolo was staring in the direction the girls had gone, fists clenched, terror for his mate and unborn child freezing him up, for the first time in his life.

            "We must believe in them, and come up with some way to destroy the evil," said Setsuna. 

            An odd expression crossed Ryouga's face, as an idea came to him.

            "You guys keep working, I'm going to talk to some people."

            "What?" asked Gohan, confused. "Need me to go with you?"

            Ryouga shook his head. Somehow he knew he'd be able to get there this time. "I hope to be back before the girls, and get some reinforcements." With that, Ryouga also took off, having learned to fly in the place between times.

            "I hope that wasn't the last time we see him," sighed Haruka, watching him go. "Hey, Trunks, let's spar while the smart people think!"

~*~*~*~*~

            Ryouga growled softly, realizing that Jupiter had a point- now that he knew there WAS no 'home' for him to go to, he could find his way… with relative ease. Flying helped.

            "I can't believe I am doing this," he muttered, and choked down his pride. Once he would never have thought of his… but he had something more important to fight for: a person who didn't think he was a freak.

            He recognized the familiar outline of Ucchan's, and landed in front of it, and looked around. There was a pretty good-sized crowd, but no one was looking at him like what he had done was strange. 

            "Well, this is Nerima…"

            Shaking his head, he walked in, and scanned the crowd. Ukyou was at her usual post, the grill, and Ranma was staring at the grill like it was an altar, and almost awed expression on his features as he was fed.

            "Hey!" Ryouga called, and put his hand on the pig-tailed boy's shoulder- which was promptly grabbed.

            Ranma, in such chases, would usually have sensed Ryouga, or at least danger. To his profound shock, he sensed neither when a callused hand landed on him. He was so surprised he grabbed the hand, preparing to throw the owner to the wall- and couldn't.

            There was a loud clatter as Ranma dropped his plate and whirled around-

            "RYOUGA? What are you doing here?"

To be continued!


	31. XXXI

A Special Training XXXI

****

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon do not belong to me in any way, shape or form; I am merely a delusional college student who is in love and off her medication. Read at your own risk after I said that. 

            "Why are you doing this?" Usagi asked, feeling her hands tied behind her back, and her feet as well, and she was lying on her side, at an awkward angle. It was placing and uncomfortable weight on her gravid belly. The shell inside her was making the tissue between pinch painfully.

            She wasn't mad, just resigned. Any fear she had was crushed under this great feeling of weariness, and the concentration of staving her labor off. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. 

            Usagi wasn't so stupid as to realize this was why she had died in the other time line- and it looked like she was going to die here as well. She had died before. Her only real regret was that she'd never get to see her baby.

            "It was just damned perfect, you know that?" said Mamoru, staring down at her. "I'd be king of the world, you'd be my wife, and everything would have been swell. But you had to go and screw it all up by getting knocked up by an alien. A green, hideous looking thing. You got some damned problems, don't you bitch?"

            "And you-" she broke off, hissing through her teeth, as another contractions tore through her.

            Mamoru was the only person there, in this dank little room. Oddly, he hadn't touched her.

            He didn't notice the pain she was in.

            "I had to be the king- there was nothing else for me! You have tried to ruin my life since I met you!"

            "RIGHT! Like the girls I caught you with didn't hurt me in the least- like the time you tried to force me. Like all the times you insulted me!"

            "Those girls meant nothing to me! They were just…" He looked away, an angry flush coming to his face.

            "What went wrong, Mamoru- once I loved you with all my heart!" she whispered fiercely. I know that you loved me in the Silver Millenium!"

            The older man turned to her slowly… and gave her a look that chilled her heart.

            "Do you really want to know?"

~*~*~*~*~

            "I'm here because I need to ask for your help," Ryouga said to Ranma, who was still shocked that he had been snuck up on. The heavier boy used to move like an elephant in a china shop. What changed?

            "My help? Ain't that a little odd, P-chan?" Ranma said, smiling cockily at the bandana wearing martial artist. Ryouga winced at the name, but didn't protest, which made Ranma frown.

            "I'm serious, there are a bunch of aliens on earth, RIGHT NOW, that are super powered martial artists here to wipe out all life!" he yelled, aura and temper flaming around him.

            "Akane must have hit you too hard, because that is the biggest load of…" Ranma trailed off and started to eat again.

Ryouga glared at his once rival. He knew he was stronger now. For the first time, he knew he could defeat this man, and not breathe hard doing it. Yet he had absolutely no reason to now. 

            He thought he could taste the irony.

            "I need your help, man. You know it would kill me to say that if it wasn't true," the fang toothed Saiya-jin glared at the human martial artist. "I know you will think this is cracked, but a bunch of aliens called Saiya-jins are coming to destroy this planet. I need you, Akane, Shampoo, Mousse, Ukyo, and anyone else we can muster to defeat them. Hell, even that old pervert. We need a distraction while the stronger warriors get their queen out."

            "STRONGER warriors?" sneered Ranma. Then, deliberately, he leaned back and looked him up and down, ignoring the strange furry belt.

            "Yes," Ryouga said, without pride. "Stronger than you or I could imagine, Ranma. That is why I need your help."

            "I'm the best there is, pig boy," Ranma said dismissively, and turned back to his food, again. 

            "Then I challenge you- and if I loose, you will never see or hear from me again. If I win- you have to come with me," Ryouga said quietly, and Ranma snapped around.

            "You gotta be kiddin' me!" Ranma yelled. "You'd never do that P-chan, you like annoying me too much!"

            Ryouga rolled his eyes. 

            "Are you going to fight me, or are you hoping to blow me over with your hot air?" the fanged boy demanded, arms crossed. 

            Ranma's eyes opened wide, and he clenched his teeth. 

            "Lets get out of here," the pig tailed fighter growled, clenching his teeth.

            The two combatants left the eatery…

~*~*~*~*~

            Minako crouched behind a boulder, looking over it, while Makoto scouted farther ahead. Ami was currently analyzing the ship's defenses with her Mercury computer. 

            "I can't sense Usagi here, can you?" murmured Minako, gazing at the ship in confusion.

            "That could mean any number of things," Ami said. "It could mean that she is unconscious, that she is in a shielded area…"

            The last option was that she was dead- and none of them were willing to admit that one.

            "So, basically it means we need to break inside?" asked Makoto, cracking her knuckles, looking at the big, burly men that were posted as guards. 

            "Yup," Minako answered, grinning. "I don't think we have to worry about those little boys, do you Ami?"

            Ami looked up and carefully closed her computer. "An all out assault would not be wise, Minako, because they could use Usagi as a hostage- and what about Phoenix? No one has seen or heard from her since-"

            There was a loud explosion and shouting coming from the opposite side of the ship, and most of the guards left, leaving only two at the front entrance. A strange energy signature, a mix of Lunar and Namek, erupted along with screams of pain from male voices.

            "I guess she is still okay," giggled Makoto, then she crouched down. "Ladies, we have our entrance."

            "What about the guys and the Outers? Don't we need to tell them what's going on?" Ami, ever the intelligent one, reminded them. Minako got out her communicator, and tapped it.

            "We think she's inside, and we have a chance to get in," she said shortly to whoever was on the other end of the line," follow at your own discression." She closed it, before anyone could have a chance to refute her. "Senshi- let's kick some tail!" she roared, running down the hill and going for the guard closest to her, Makoto at her heels and Ami was left- groaning at the bad pun.

~*~*~*~*~

             When Phoenix realized that her mother wasn't where she had left her, she did some rapid calculations in her head… and realized that her hatching day was tomorrow. Right after midnight that day, in fact. Which meant… she had about 9 hours to find her… 

            "OH SHIT!" she screamed- and did something she thought she would never do.

            She outright attacked the side of the Saiya-jin space ship.

            Her fist had just embedded itself in the dense metal of the vessel when she was pounced by the Saiya-jins. She didn't care. Phoenix wanted to fight. Blue and white fire blazed around her as her bottled rage, from years of frustration, burst forth- and the crescent on her head glowed in a serene counterpoint. 

            "Well, monkeys, want to play with Phoenix? Phoenix…" she licked her fangs and grinned at them, showing her far superior teeth. "Phoenix is HUNGRY."

            She was promptly dog piled. She didn't care at all…

~*~*~*~*~

            At about the same time, Ryouga was standing in front of Ucchan's, realizing that this fight was drawing a crowd. He groaned. His technique was good- he didn't have to worry about loosing. However, he didn't want his heritage coming out and people treating him more strangely than they usually did. Then it occurred to him that, with the P-chan episode, all his bridges were burned anyway. What would people care if he was an alien? This was Nerima.

            "This is stupid, Pig boy," said Ranma, who was about 10 feet away. "You know I've beaten you every time. You can't possibly have gotten so much stronger than me that…"

            Ranma trailed off as he saw a cool blue aura surround his rival. 

            "Nice light show," he said flippantly. "Learn that when you learned about your aliens?"

            This got an ironic laugh from Ryouga.

            "You know, I actually learned this from an alien, but not the ones I came to warn you about. Actually, the ones I came to warn you about all have tails… Rather like this one," at that, he dropped his tail from his waist, and swished it around- making it obvious to anyone watching that it was firmly attached, and very real. "See, they sent me to clear this planet out for them, but I somehow lost my memory. I don't want to destroy this world- it is my home too. Now," Ryouga tensed, and a deep rumble erupted from his throat as he powered up. He hadn't been able to achieve the level of Super Saiya-jin as Gohan or Trunks had- he thought it had to do with being half human that they had done so at all.

            "WHAT?" screamed Ranma, who then regained his aplomb. "Right, whatever. You are still slow as… "

            A fist was then firmly planted in Ranma's forehead, driving him backwards. Ranma never saw it coming. 

            Nor was he given a chance to breathe, as blow after blow was rained on him. He couldn't think, his shock held him paralyzed, and only his intense training kept him from being killed by his own foolishness. He couldn't predict, couldn't even sense, Ryouga's moves. Rage as he realized he was loosing filled him- making him so sloppy that he opened himself to an easy finishing move- Ryouga landed a flat palmed strike to his chest, slamming him to the ground.

            Ranma was still for a long time. 

            Ryouga froze, watching him, and watching the crowd, hearing the angry mutters from the three fiancés.  He thought they wouldn't interfere in a man to man fight, but he didn't know- and considering that he had just spent the last god knows how long out of time with a gaggle of super powerful girls, he knew better than to underestimate them.

            Better to get this over with…

            "My terms with Ranma were that he come with me- and help me defend this world. The aliens trying to kill off the life are here, and the must be stopped. Will anyone come with me?"

            Everyone looked at him like he was crazy, until Ranma started to stir in the dirt. The pig tailed martial artist flipped over in the dirt and looked up at the man who had defeated him, snarling. 

            "NO! I haven't lost, pig boy! NEVER!" Ranma screamed, his own aura flaring and trying to charge Ryouga, who merely sidestepped and grabbed him by the collar, and took off into the air.

            The rest of the Nerima wrecking crew almost screamed, and started after them, for their own reason, not knowing what they were getting themselves into…

~*~*~*~

            Usagi listened to Mamoru's tale with a growing horror… 

            It wasn't horror for herself- it was sympathy for a boy that had gotten lost in the system, been used, abused, and tormented. The tale was sickening- and it explained a lot.

            The saddest part was this- Mamoru had done his best to cope. He had. Yet, despite his best attempts, there was nothing she could do for him.

            There was a sad irony to it all. There had been times when they had been much closer to being friends than lovers, ever. Those were the good times, the times he seemed almost normal. Or course, there was no way now that she could actually marry him, even it everything was to go back to normal and he won back favor. 

            Mamoru had never loved her, not the way she loved him. It wasn't because he was evil, or selfish. It was for the reason he went out with all those other girls, tried so hard to be something he wasn't. The answer had stared her in the face- he liked guys.

            As in, he was gay. 

            Nothing wrong with that, but to him, it meant he was disgusting, diseased, and had led him to try to cure himself by being macho as possible. No wonder he was so miserably unhappy, no wonder he had become… this.

            Her compassionate heart went out to him. In time; maybe his heart could be healed. 

            His rambling words went on and on- as she listened, she started to wonder who the person had been who had truly masterminded her capture. Mamoru sounded almost deranged, he wasn't able to think long, or far enough into the future to actually get her here… to actually do something like this. 

            No, someone who had his eyes on her spot, or her powers from the beginning. Someone who knew Mamoru well enough to manipulate him.

~*~*~*~

            Ryouga raced, grimly, to the site of the ship, with his band of warriors… Not really his, but that didn't matter at the moment. The only thing he could concentrate on was getting there, getting there, finding his firebird…

            Woah, woah, hold it! Where did that come from?

            Never mind. He didn't need Piccolo breathing down his neck again.

            Way ahead of the pack, he made a brief stop to get the Outers, Piccolo, and the Saiya-jins, and on their way, they flew as fast as they could, with Nerima-jin trying to keep up. 

            They crested a rise-

            There it was.

~*~*~*~

            "Okay, what the hell is he doing here?"  Ami muttered, and Makoto and Minako looked at her like she had flipped out.

            "What? What's wrong with me swearing?" she said defensively, crossing her arms for a moment. 

            They continued to stare.

            "I take it back," Ami said, after an unnerving silence. The other two girls sighed in relief that the universe hadn't completely flipped on its head and went back to staring at this very, very unlikely development. 

            Suspended in a large, clear tube filled with a pale blue fluid was a familiar form. Pale green and pink hair curtained around the naked body, obscuring it slightly though doing nothing for his modesty. Equally pale green skin covered the delicate alien's form- and they all wanted to cry at the obvious torture that skin showed.

            "Dear god," Makoto murmured, her heart and bones aching at the sight. "How did they get poor Fiore?"

            "Does it matter?" asked Minako. "I mean, really, he's not who we are here for-"

            "Usagi wouldn't want us to leave him," Ami said deferentially. 

            "At the risk of herself and her baby?" Makoto snarled back, making Ami shy away, before she squared her shoulders. 

            "Yes, she would. Can we contact the Outers and tell them to back us up?"

            "I don't see why," Minako said, sighing in defeat. "They should be coming on their own any moment now."

            "Then, what the hell are we waiting for?" asked Ami, and the other girls just shook their heads while she figured out how to get Fiore out and they kept watch.

~*~*~*~*~

            "Rei?" echoed Setsuna, Haruka and Michiru, aghast. She was the LAST person they expected to see.

            "What is the little bitch wanting?" asked Piccolo, coming out of his meditation when his sensitive ears twitched at hearing her. 

            "Did you finally come back to you senses? Are you going to help us find the princess?" demanded Haruka, hands on her hips, her bearing of that of someone demanding penance.

            Rei smiled, but Piccolo noted that it didn't reach her eyes. "Of course, I have seen that I was mistaken and that I wish to make things right," she murmured, casting her eyes down to the floor of the capsule house. She seemed demure. "I just hope I can help."

            Even to Trunks, who didn't know her, this rang falsely. 

            Watching her, the Outer Senshi and the Z warriors carefully followed her out. 

            "I think I know where Usagi is!" Rei said in a rush, and they all stared at her.

            "You really don't expect us to believe that," snickered Gohan, who had his hand over his mouth. "I mean, that has to be the lamest-"

            Rei frowned. The other soldiers had started to do the same. 

            "Do you really expect us to fall for the oldest trick in the book? Turn on us, then betray us? Honestly, can you be THAT stupid?" guffawed Setsuna, who was leaning against the capsule house wall, clutching her stomach. Haruka and Michiru clung to each other to stay standing up while Trunks and Gohan clapped each other on the back. Piccolo was the only one not lost in mirth, but his face had a definite smirk on it.

            "No, I don't expect you to fall for that trick," Rei snarled, clenching her fists as a red aura surrounded her. "I EXPECT YOU TO DIE!"

            Then they were all pounced by a group of Saiya-jins.

To be concluded!


	32. XXXII

A Special Training: Finale

****

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon do not belong to me, and I make no money from this fic at all.

Dedicated to everyone who refused to give up on this fic- and even those that did. Thanks for all the reviews, all the praise and fanart, and friends that I have made due to this story. Note: There will be an epilogue, but it probably won't lead to a sequel. Real life is hell, no matter how you slice it, and fics this long can't keep my attention, for which I am sorry.  I might though… I would like to.

Eventually.

Next millennium.

            "We could help you," Usagi told her captor, breath coming in short pants. "We could free Fiore for you…"

            Mamoru shook his head, eyes tearing up. "No, you can't. I can't love him, I can't I can't I can't…"

            "Love doesn't give a damn about the heart it resides in. We can't decide in our heads how it works. We just have to go along for the ride, and take the blessing given us!" Usagi cried passionately- before wailing in pain.

~*~*~*~

            Ryouga could feel power coming off his firebird long before he could see her. Ranma had stopped struggling- because while they could not see a green skinned giant, they could certainly see the enormous, bloated ship.

            "Oh man, you weren't lyin' were ya?" Ranma said, eyes wipe with shock. "So, yer really an alien, yer really fighting those things, and-"

            "Yes, we have to fight them," Ryouga muttered, eyes scanning for Phoenix. His first trace of her, brought by the hot dry wind, was her scent- like a rushing clean stream with flowers on the banks, identified itself in his brain. He hadn't even realized he recognized before he was diving in the direction, dumping himself and Ranma in the middle of her brawl. 

            "HEY RYOUGA!" screamed Ranma, fighting for his life. The Saiya-jins, not caring that they had no clue who these newcomers were, just went for the kill immediately.

            "Stupid monkeys," Ryouga hissed, looking at their scouters. He'd kept his powers suppressed to the point where he seemed human- until he powered up and roared, diving in.

            "ROARING LION BULLET!"

            Ranma, however, was not doing so well. The Nerima Wrecking Crew chose that minute to arrive- and the battle took an interesting… and insane, turn.

            "What the hell? Ryouga? How'd you get here?" Phoenix asked, as a lull in the fighting let them see each other. The Lost Saiya-jin Boy noted that she had a split eyebrow and blood covered teeth, her bandana was gone, and her crescent moon shone despite the dust and blood on her face. 

            "I… uh, came to rescue you?" he said sheepishly, before whirling around to kick another of the hairy barbarian warriors in the nuts. Every male on the battle field winced and held their legs together.

            A loud crash came from the side of the ship, and it erupted outwards, and the three Inner Senshi darted out, all of them morphed and Jupiter was carrying something slender and green on her back. They all engaged the Enemy, after Jupiter had laid her burden down in a sheltered corner, defending it. Ryouga tried to get over to see what it was… 

            But he wasn't over his directional malady yet.

            So, of course, he got lost.

            "RYOUGA! Where are you going? WAIT FOR ME!" cried a certain green Princess.

~*~*~*~

            Rei smirked, watching the Saiya-jins being easily tossed about by the Outers, Piccolo, Trunks, Gohan and Bunny.  This confused Piccolo, because if he had been in her position- while he would have tried to show strength, surely he could have known that the situation was hopeless? A bluff was moot now. 

            Yet, that shit-eating smile of hers refused to go away. 

            Piccolo blocked and punched, narrowly avoiding a ki blast from one of the monkey-butts, when he noticed something dark on Rei's forehead. It was a black gemstone…

            The Senshi of Fire started to laugh, laugh insanely. This caused a pause in the fighting, as everyone stopped to stare at her- and she changed. Fire wreathed its way around her, forming armor, and a pair of _si. _The armor was black, reflecting red in the afternoon sun, looking like she was bathed in flame, showing eyes that were completely scarlet, lidless, without pupil or white.

            "I am Ares, god of war," whispered a high, reedy voice. "I serve my mistress Metallia, and you are her enemy. Prepare to face the full wrath of the Negaverse!"

            "Rei? How, what?" Bunny asked, eyes pleading.

            "You had the option of joining us once, _Princess_," Ares sneered, looking down at the pink haired child. "But no more. You will die with your friends here!"

            "Like hell you will," snarled Trunks, who charged at the Forbidden Mars, bringing his broadsword down in an overhand chop-

            To be promptly caught in the tines of her _si_, and twisted from his grip. To the Saiya-jin Prince's shock, he was thrown into the capsule house with enough force to crush the walls, knocking the breath from him.

            "Honestly, if that is all you have," Trunks began- then fell over, coughing up blood. Clutching his abdomen, felt blood well up between his fingers, and saw the stab wound.

            "No, it isn't all I have," Rei replied, and dodged Haruka's Space Sword, catching her in a spin kick, and knocking her to the ground, then trying to stomp her throat.

            In that split second, two things happened- 

            Bunny dashed over to heal Trunks, while Michiru felt rage that she had never felt before. It rose in her, as inexorable and implacable as the tide. She would crash down on them like a tsunami. She was now the Ocean Queen.

            The foot that would have crushed her love's throat was caught and pushed away, causing Rei to fall, then roll back to her feet. Snarling, she tossed on of her _si_ at the Ocean Queen, who deflected it with her trident. Lunging for each other, the two Forbidden warriors engaged.

            Haruka was on the ground, coughing and wheezing, her heart aching as she saw her other half battle the traitor. Tears of pain leaked from Uranus' eyes, and she needed, desperately, to be by her love's side.

            "MICHIRU!" she called, one hand reaching for her- and she was swept away, a hot, scorching wind blowing through her soul, and felt the stone beneath it, baked under a merciless sun, frozen from a pitiless night, and it scoured away her weakness. For an eternal moment, it seemed that Haruka had been replaced by a dust storm, and then became the Desert Prince.

            Scimitar in hand, the Desert Prince rushed Ares on her blind side, launching a flying kick at her head. Rei ducked, and Haruka landed on her other side. Smiling faintly, the God of War gestured to both of the other Forbiddens. 

            "Two against one, eh? You should have brought more-"

            "Will three do?" said Setsuna, now Pluto, and holding her time key defensively.

            Rei shrugged. 

            "Piccolo," Desert Prince said softly, but in a tone of command. "Go find the Princess. She is all that matters now- we will hold them here."

            The Namek was gone almost before she had finished her sentence. Trunks watched him leave, wishing he could do more- but Bunny was having trouble healing his wound. He still couldn't get up and fight yet. 

            "You're going to be too busy to worry about me," Rei commented offhandedly- then pointed her open palm towards Bunny, and declared, in a voice almost to low to hear:

            "War Hunger."

            Light the color of old blood, causing the air around it to stink of a charnel pit arced towards the youngest princess, her eyes wide with fright. There was only a split second to react, and only one other person who could.

            The image of Piccolo sacrificing himself, with no belief he would come back, had etched itself permanently into the young demi-Saiya-jin's mind. He knew had been given a friend, and a chance at life, that he could never fully repay. Now, he tried.

            Bunny had never had a real friend until Gohan. Sure, she had her mother's court, and Puu, but…

            Gohan had thrown himself between the War Hunger blast and Bunny. Arms crossed in front of him, he took it, feeling his body absorb the shock and be thrown by it, and then the sensation of something crawling inside him, wriggling and choking like living vines pulling him down.

            He screamed, agony filling his heart as Negativity swarmed inside his skin, pushing is kind heart aside-

            Red eyes glowed and looked at Bunny hungrily, as she was unable the healing on Trunks. Gohan grinned, his mind no longer his own. Licking his lips, went super Saiya-jin-

            Only to be stopped by someone whose essence was Time. Pluto had known something would happen, the job as Keeper of Time giving her greater than normal instincts. They had screamed at her, and the change occurred. 

            The birth and death of stars burned in her veins, the agony of eternal life, was part of her. She was two, life and death, the forever cycle, the wheel of time. She was Chronos.

            Gohan was shouldered aside, and he turned his hate filled gaze back to the woman once known as Setsuna. 

            "Kill them, Gohan," Rei told her new servant, who nodded. Stating to circle them, Bunny and Chronos stayed between him and Trunks. 

            Things had just gotten messier.

~*~*~*~

            Piccolo didn't pay attention to the wind that stung his eyes, or the dust that abraded his skin as he flew. His senses were extended to the point of being so sensitive he could feel someone sneeze. This drove a spike of headache through his brain, throbbing with his pulse, but he kept at it. He had to find his Usa; nothing mattered but that.

            Nothing… she was completely shielded to his searching mind. It made him want to howl with frustration. He tried looking for Mamoru. Still nothing.

            If only there wasn't this weird feeling he kept getting from Phoenix, that she was in two places at-

            He felt so stupid that he almost paused in mid-air.  Of course she was in two places at once. She was about to be born! Feeling again, with a specific energy in mind, he focused on the smaller of the two signatures. Powering up, blasted in the direction he sensed, hoping that nothing would go wrong.

~*~*~*~

            Mamoru flinched when Usagi had wailed, face going white as new milk at the raw pain there. When blood started to seep through her clothing, he gaped.

            "What? What happened? I never touched you!" he yelped, lurching away like it might be catching.

            "I'm. In. LABOR!" she roared at him, before mewing in pain, sweat beading all over her face. Her eyes were tightly shut, fighting off the closer and closer contractions. 

            She didn't see him walk away, but she did hear his steps, and suddenly her face was being blotted by a hanky, and she was sat up, a bundle of towels placed under her to sop up the blood. Usagi opened her eyes in shock. There was a weird expression on the Prince's face, one that she had seen only a few times when he looked at his daughter. 

            "What do I need to do?" he asked softly, as Usagi continued to breath shallowly. 

            He untied her bonds, and she knew that she wouldn't have the strength to escape now. However- the odd thought popped into her mind:

            "I didn't know that Mamoru was a sucker for kids…"

            This was her last happy thought, because she was too busy cursing Piccolo, saying she wished the crystal had never fixed him and that if he touched another female, let alone HER, she would fix him back. 

            _CRASH!_

Piccolo had fallen through the ceiling, feet first, and landed in front of them.

            The first he saw was Mamoru holding onto his mate- and he went berserk, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him into a wall.

            "DON'T KILL HIM!"

            Piccolo and Mamoru stopped where they were, staring at the pregnant woman on the floor. She grinned at them both weakly.

            "There," she coughed, blood starting to come to her lips as the shell had started to break, the shards carving up her internal organs. "There is still good in him. He isn't doing this because he hates me, or you, but because he is a pawn, and he loves someone else."

            Piccolo froze. He still wanted to kill the little bastard… but someone good had once given him a second chance. Someone who had died for what he believed. Goku would do the same thing as his Usa was doing- 

            "You need to get little Phoenix out of me," she whispered faintly, getting weaker. 

            Piccolo blinked, as what she asked sank in. Fear paralyzed him. "But you'll die."

            She coughed again. "I've died before, its not that big a deal. I'll wait for you on the other side- but Phoenix needs to live."

            Piccolo shook his head stubbornly. This couldn't be happening, after so much, so long, he couldn't be watching her die NOW…

            "DAMMIT YOU GREEN FREAK? YOUR DAUGHTER'S LIFE IS AT STAKE! IF YOU DON'T, I WILL!"

            Piccolo couldn't, he couldn't…

            Mamoru growled, using a pressure point to free himself from Piccolo's grasp and went over to Usagi. 

            "You really want this, Usagi?" the masked man asked, and Usagi gave him a look- one that clearly said "Yes you damned idiot!"

            He knelt beside her, and pulled a long dagger from behind his cape. "This is going to hurt-" he pulled the steel free, and brought the edge across Usagi's belly.

            Piccolo couldn't watch. He could fight armies, but this was something he couldn't face, loosing her twice. He could hear the flesh part beneath the knife, heard a soft crack, and a wailing. Finally he turned to look, as Phoenix was pulled from his lover's womb. She was a tiny, loud scrap, covered in blood and fluids, and now being bundled in Mamoru's cape and handed to her mother.

            "Hush little baby…"

            He went over and knelt beside his Usagi.

            "Don't say a word…"

            Tears of grief and agony slid down his cheeks.

            "Momma's gonna…"

            The light in Usagi's eyes went dim, shock and pain knocking her out, and her breathing slowed… slowed…

            "Buy you a mocking bird," Piccolo croaked out, remembering the songs that he had heard, somewhere. Hope seemed to be dead.

            "If that mocking bird don't-"

            Then the air was shattered by an outraged scream. "WHERE THE HELL AM I NOW?" 

            Two male heads shot up, looking around, seeing a familiar lost boy and a green skinned Princess.

~*~*~*~

            The Saiya-jins went down, before the Eternal Inner Senshi. Went down too easily.

            "Is it me, or does it seem like the other people can handle the clean up without us?" panted Sailor Venus, her Love-Me Chain lashing anyone too slow to get out of her way. 

            "You know," answered Ami, smiling as she yanked tails," I think you are right." 

            Before Makoto could give her two cents- coldness seemed to create a vacuum, sucking in all the light and hope from the group outside the ugly battle ship. Turning to look, all the beings before it saw the King of all Saiya-jins, Vegeta, step out and smile mockingly down at them. Without answering, he seemed to swell up, his hair turning a brilliant gold, and he flew away.

            "Heh, jackass knew he couldn't defeat us Senshi," said Makoto, cracking her knuckles cheerfully, despite how tired she was.

            "No, I don't think that is what happened," Ami said softly, her eyes widening as she realized which direction he had gone in. "He headed back towards- TRUNKS!" 

            "AMI! We have other things to worry about beside your boyfriend!" Minako complained, almost growling. 

            "NO! I mean, he was headed- He was going, I mean- OH WHO GIVES A SHIT! Come on you guys!" Sailor Mercury shrieked, powering up and blistering the air around her, taking off.

            "AMI! WAIT!" yelled Venus, powering up to follow, and Makoto just shrugged, and looked around. Poor Fiore hadn't moved much during the fighting, and was still unconscious in what Jupiter hoped was a healing sleep. 

            "Sorry fella," she said, tossing him over her shoulder to follow the others, trailing behind Vegeta, to whatever doom awaited them.

~*~*~*~

            The Ocean Queen and the Desert Prince hemmed in Rei, on feinting, the other grabbing or punching, working together in sync. Gohan fought behind them- but something was off. His full spirit wasn't into it.

            Bunny breathed through her teeth, wiping blood away from one of her eyes as she stared into the deep bottomless red of her best friend's eyes. "He's not a killer," she said to Chronos, "You go help the others, I can fight Gohan alone," the Small Lady hissed, getting back into a fighting stance, ignoring her ripped and bloody gloves. "Something in him is fighting Rei."

            Chronos only nodded. She too had seen the reluctance that had occasionally taken over their young friend. He enjoyed the battle, feeling the exhilaration of fighting, but killing was something he could do.

            His human blood still held sway yet.

            Chronos darted over to the fight with Rei, kicking and punching mercilessly, while Bunny smiled grimly at Gohan.

            "You aren't a bad person, and I know the real Gohan is still in there," she muttered, loosing her fighting stance. "There is only one thing I can think to do for you."

            Gohan didn't answer- instead he lashed out with a crescent kick to her face, knocking her down. Bunny didn't move to defend herself, only clutched at her broach. The young Saiya-jin bloodied his knuckles on her nose, and Bunny rolled to the side. She spat out red pieces of teeth. Still, she refused to defend herself, searching for an inner calm that she needed if this gambit was too succeed.

            Gohan hauled her to her feet, setting her up to be hit again-

            "MOON HEALING, ESCALATION!"

            Moon energy, bright and cleansing, rained down on Gohan- and the red slowly washed from his eyes, before he could deliver the killing blow.

            "I did it!" Bunny said, ecstatically. She had won- 

            Slumping foreword, she fainted into Gohan's arms.

            "Bunny? What happened? Since when did I have that effect on girl?"

            This caused a break in the Outers' fight with Ares. The God of War cursed, viciously, seeing her servant freed. She should have thought of that, oldest trick in the book.

            "Father?" 

            Everyone turned to look at Trunks' startled exclamation. Standing next to the demi-Saiya-jin Prince was a figure that was familiar to both Trunks and Gohan. Except for height, he could have been a perfect replica of Trunks' father, Vegeta.

            "Hello, Sailor Soldiers," smirked the bearded face. Gold hair rippled in a faint breeze, and Trunks felt fear. He was still unable to get up, his healing incomplete. He desperately drug himself away with his arms, picking up his sword in fear. 

            "A half breed," Vegeta sneered. "How pathetic." Raising his fist, he powered up, black, negative energy collecting around him, and he struck. Trunks screamed- he felt like he was going to be split apart.

            "Who are you?" whispered the Desert Prince, whispered, holding her scimitar in her left hand- her right had been badly sprained.

            "I am both Vegeta, and the being you knew as Metallia," it said, blackness showing in its eyes. "I was given the chance to give my people back their greatness, and I have done so!"

            "So, basically you are saying that we don't have to worry about killing you, because you are a collaborator?" interrupted someone new. Ami, and the Inners had arrived.

            "You hurt Trunks," Ami said calmly, walking towards Vegeta, her tone and steps as implacable as a moving glacier. Trunks looked at her, noticed that steam seemed to come off in her tendrils. Blinking he realized she was… turning blue. She was transparently blue-white now, her voice a harsh echo. 

            "On behalf of Mercury, you will be punished!"

            Pure ice hit the unholy fusion of Vegeta and Metallia, in the form of the Snow Woman. The air crackled, heat dropping all around them.

            Trunks wanted to sweat drop. It seemed that even Forbidden, the Sailor Senshi still loved speeches… Although it was easier to think about pain more…

            The Outers sprang in to help her, crying out their attacks. Trunks noticed that Bunny was becoming conscious again, when the shit hit the fan.

            All of them were thrown back- the Outers and Ami, and he realized that Rei had attacked Minako and Makoto at the same time. They weren't holding out very well. They were all ready exhausted, their earlier battles having worn heavily on them. There was an earth shattering clap of thunder, as Makoto became Raiden, lightening striking from her heavy black staff as she blocked Rei's remaining _si_. 

            "You might as well give up," said Vegeta/Metallia, a weird doubling in his voice. "You can't even handle my serv-"

            Minako was replaced by Centurion. She then neatly beheaded Ares with her poisonous stone sword. No one even paused to blink as the Senshi all ran straight at Vegeta/Metallia-

            Then they all fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

            "You have no moon Princess to defeat me," hissed their Enemy, sounding more like Metallia now than Vegeta. "She should be dead by now, now help will come for you."

            "Oh gods, the usual give up and die painlessly speech. Won't bad guys ever come up with anything interesting?"

            This caused a pause- because the speaker was Usagi!

            Standing on the remains of the Capsule house, Eclipse stood there, her crystal sword held at a careless angle. "I'll tell you what, Metallia. You don't face just ONE Moon Princess."

            A caped figured floated up beside her.

            "You face three," said Phoenix, clutching a deep red, circular broach. 

            On the ground, stood Piccolo holding Chibi-Phoenix and Ryouga, and behind them, was Mamoru, his eyes scanning the area for… something.

            The two women landed in front of the outers, and a cry went up-

            "Star Knight, Make UP!"

            Phoenix called out her henshin phrase, morphing, her dark purple gi changing into a glowing white tunic and pants, silver armor covering her chest and shoulders. 

            Bunny struggled to her feet, and ran over to them. "Yeah, three," she croaked.

            "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF YOU HAVE A HUNDRED!" blackness crackled around Metallia, along with the gold of Super Saiya-jin. 

            All three girls closed their eyes, white light transforming them.

            Neo Queen Serenity stood in place of Usagi, and her two daughters stood flanking her, each with a Silver Crystal in front of them.

            "SHII-NEEEE!" bellowed Vegeta/Metallia- throwing a blast of the magnitude to shatter suns.

            It was halted, barely, by the combined force of three Crystals, such was the force of the melding of the Saiya-jins and Metallia. 

            "Come… on," hissed Centurion, painfully getting to her knees. "She needs us."

            The Snow Woman coughed and sat up. "Yeah…"

            Slowly the other Senshi got to their feet. "They need our strength," whispered Chronos, and the Desert Prince gave the Ocean Queen her hand.

            Shambling over, they stared, seeing the massive light show in front of their Princesses. 

            "Ryouga, Piccolo, we need your help," Centurion called out to them, and they quickly strode over, in awe at the battle between the goddesses and the demon before them.

            "What can we do?" Piccolo asked softly, shifting Phoenix around in his arms. Gohan had stood up, and joined them. "We don't have power like this-"

            "She needs our love," Centurion replied, absolutely confident in that. "Your rage is great- I have seen that, when you fight. But your love for them is greater." She looked at Ryouga when she said that. He blushed despite the situation.

            Forming a rough circle around them, they joined hands, except where Gohan had to grab Piccolo's arm from where he held his daughter. On his flanks, Piccolo saw the girls start to glow, felt their will join with that of the Moon children they ringed. They couldn't fail. Looking down at baby Phoenix, Piccolo felt fierceness inside him he didn't think he possessed. They wouldn't fail!

             "SILVER!" burst from his lips, and he noticed that Gohan and Trunks had joined and were saying the same phrase as he.

            "CRYSTAL!" Ryouga had gone Super Saiya-jin.

            "POWER!"

            The earth quaked around them, white light emerging from the very soil around them and smashing into the darkness that had threatened to engulf the world. It struck it, and beat it back, causing Vegeta's body to be turned to powder- and Metallia to finally be destroyed.

            Then darkness took them all.

~*~*~*~*~

            The morning dawned, clear and bright on the Lookout. 

            Usagi was standing with her Court, save the dead Rei, fidgeting as Minako added the final blossoms to her braided hair.

            "Calm down, Usagi," muttered Makoto. "I thought you always wanted to get married," she giggled, looking around. "You didn't tell me there were so many cute guys in this universe."

            "Can't you think of anything else at a time like this?" Usagi shrilled, patting her brilliant white kimono into place one last time. 

            Piccolo and Usagi had decided that they would celebrate their wedding with a mix of old and new- and Usagi was decked out in a custom kimono, white satin with flowers as part of the weave. Her under kimono was a delicate pink, the obi also white. White flowers trailed down her long braid, in her now silver hair.

            The guests outside in the courtyard were all seated, waiting for the music to play, and Usagi risked a peak. Her mother was holding her daughter, cooing and so happy that she didn't seem to care that the child was green. The Z gang, those not in the wedding, were seated on the Grooms side. Piccolo stood at the alter, speaking to the tiny Kami who was performing the service, his best man, Gohan, standing in his shadow. In the very, very back were Fiore and Mamoru, unobtrusively holding hands.

            "Phoenix not here?" murmured Ami, seeing the sad expression cross Usagi's face. 

            The bride nodded. It hurt, after they had woke up to find Phoenix and Ryouga gone. She had desperately wanted to find her daughter and thank her for healing her. For giving herself a mother. 

            "I would have died if she hadn't shown up," Usagi whispered, desperately trying not to cry and ruining her makeup.

            Bunny, the flower girl, sighed and finger combed her own now completely silver hair. "Maybe she was needed somewhere else?"

            "I don't know…"

            It was time- the music that Bulma had arranged (they had left most of the preparation up to Bulma when they had gone to the DBZ world, who had taken to it with a ridiculous amount of zeal) started. Canon in D placed gently, wafting over the Z Senshi, Usagi's family, the Nerima Wrecking Crew (who refused to be left out) and the groomsmen and bridesmaids made their stately way down the isle.

            Then everyone stood. The Bridal march began, and Usagi felt her heart tremble, butterflies breeding at a tremendous rate inside her belly, and she took her father's offered arm.

            Emerging from the Palace building, Usagi dazzled the eye, her blue eyes large and vulnerable as she looked at Piccolo. For once, he wasn't wearing his usual gi and cape. Instead, he wore a black male kimono, with a white under kimono. His black eyes fixed on her, wider and softer than she had ever seen them. In fact, it took Gohan nudging him in the ribs to remember to take her hand.

            The vows went smoothly, like in a dream, the rings exchanged (with Usagi wanting to giggle at the size of Piccolo's) and then, the final verdict.

            "By the power vested in me as god, I now pronounce you married! Kiss already," complained Dende.

            Everyone laughed politely- then laughed hugely when Usagi grabbed Piccolo by the front of his kimono to get a better angle.

            It was a perfect moment, that kiss- and when Usagi came for breath, she looked up to see Phoenix standing at the very back of the crowd, holding Ryouga's hand. Her own hair was as white as her mother's now. She smiled, tears in her eyes, at Usagi, and they understood without words each other perfectly.

            "COME ON COME ON COME ON!" shouted Bunny and Gohan. 

            "WE WANT CAKE!"

            More laughter, and when Usagi looked back, Ryouga and Phoenix were gone. 

            Putting his arm around her shoulders, Piccolo whispered," Did you see her?"

            "I did," she said back, softly. "I think she's happy now."

            Walking back down the isle and to their massive reception, they overheard everyone's plans. Ami would be going back with Trunks to help with their reconstruction. Makoto said she would go to- she needed a change of scene. Minako was flirting shamelessly with Yamcha, who was already smitten. Chichi announced she was pregnant with Goku's second child. The Outers planned on going back to their world, but would make frequent visits. Being the Keeper of Time had its upside, after all.

            Life went on.

            Usagi grinned, feeling peace settle over her heart. 

            "I think we can call this happily ever after?" said Piccolo, while they cut the cake.

            "No such thing as ever after- but I would say we are happy," Usagi replied. 

            And she was right.

The end.


	33. epilogue

A Special Training: Epilogue

  
  


Disclaimer: You know the drill- not mine, and I make no money.

  
  


The next morning after the battle had dawned peaceful, cool dew on the grass, and the warriors that had participated. 

Ryouga woke up, sneezing, wondering why he wasn't a pig at the moment. He was cool and wet- that should mean pig. Sitting up with a start he looked around, seeing that he was still in the rough circle that they had formed to protect the Princesses from being drained dry. The Lost Boy realized he didn't remember the last time he had seen Phoenix- and went nearly hysterical when he didn't know if she was alive or dead.

"OH MY KAMI!" he yipped, turning over and seeing her lying on the ground, sprawled in an untidy heap, hair silver as snow and minus an arm. He had to do something, stop the bleeding- dear god dear god!!

Shaking her hard, he didn't notice she was awake until she tried to slap him off. 

"Ryouga? What are you-" then she noticed the stump on her of her arm. 

"Damn," she muttered, sounding annoyed."It must have happened when we had that final blast... I tried to keep the others shielded..."

"How can you be so calm? You lost your arm! Dear god you are maimed for life! I am so sorry," he tried to console her tearfully, starting to glow green with all the heavy ki he was generating.

"Ryouga, Ryouga, its okay, really. Its not that big a deal. Help me up."

Not understanding, but thinking she wanted to get to a hospital, he didn't notice her start to growl low in the back of her throat. He did see the crescent on her forehead glow fiercely-

Phoenix concentrated on forming the new limb in her mind, seeing the fingers and skin the way it should be, and felt it form to her will. Snarling with effort, she pulled off the damaged part, making Ryouga jump up and scramble away in fright. Green slime dripped down- and the new arm shot out of her shoulder, complete and perfect. Phoenix riggled her fingers experimentally.

"You- you-" Ryouga was still backing up.

"Its my Namek heritage. Nameks are able to regenerate anything that isn't their heads. I wouldn't want to try to regenerate THAT," Phoenix grimaced. Blinking, she looked at her white hair in surprise. She was also still in her Princess gown, another surprise. Shrugging, she pointed at her clothes- and was then dressed in jeans, a button down shirt, and a new bandana.

Ryouga was rapidly going into shock.

She grinned at him. "Its like cold water, you get immersed, you get numb."

"I don't like cold water, at all," Ryouga said, slowly shaking his head. Blinking he remembered something. "I need to see how the other Nerima people are doing. They should be home right now-" starting to walk off (in the wrong direction), Phoenix grabbed his arm and started to take him back with her to Nerima.

Ryouga didn't mind, in fact, he clutched her hand, with a very, very goofy smile on his face, his tale weaving back and forth lazily. He felt... very cheerful.

Phoenix craned her neck back, looking at the group she was leaving behind. Smiling, she saw her younger self cupped protectively in her father's large hands. Her mother was showing signs of waking. Smiling herself, knowing that things were finally going the way they should have, she walked along with Ryouga- and kept steering him towards Nerima.

~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Their reception back at Ucchan's was mixed at best.

People knew that he was an alien- it seemed more that Akane was mad at Ryouga for being her P-chan than anything else. She still hadn't forgiven him for it. Shampoo and Mousse ignored him, Ukyou just gave him and Phoenix a hard stare. Ranma... 

Ranma was in his girl form, looking at them both thoughtfully.

All of them were nursing some kind of wound.

"Get out of here, Ryouga," growled Akane, her mallet hand twitching to do damage. Ryouga looked at her sadly. Once, he would have done anything to make her happy, but now, she was just a girl. One that he didn't want any more. 

"I was here just to look in on you, to see if you were all right," the Lost Boy said softly, letting go of Phoenix's hand. "I can't explain myself to you, other than to say that your kindness to me meant so much that I risked you thinking of me a pervert and a freak. You can be a truly kind person, Akane. I know I abused that, and I am leaving now. Goodbye." Turning, he took Phoenix's hand, and they made to leave. Closing the door, they walked a ways down the road until they heard something scramble on the fence. Both being trained warriors, they turned immediately-

To see Ranma running towards them.

Phoenix and Ryouga blinked at each other. 

Ranma landed in front of her rival, looking into his eyes for a long moment, weird emotions flashing across his face.

"Goodbye, man, you were the best rival I ever had," she said, twisting her fingers. "You beat me. No one has ever really, really beaten me like that."

The odd expression on her face seemed become etched there- then without warned she jumped up and kissed him softly, before running away as fast as she could. Ryouga touched his lips, watching her leave.

"I didn't know," Ryouga murmured. "I had no clue..."

"Sometimes the line between love and hate is so thin that you can't tell them apart," Phoenix answered, standing at his shoulder. "However," she paused- then grabbed his shoulders and gave him a fierce, passionate kiss. "However, I claim you, and she would have to go through me to get you."

Ryouga nearly got a nosebleed- then grabbed her and kissed her back. "No competition there," he said, grinning like an idiot.

"So, where are you heading to?" he asked, after a moment of silence.

"I don't really know. I've wandered so long, I don't really have a home," Phoenix replied, as they started to walk off towards the sun together. 

"Really? I know the feeling. Could I, well, stick with you for a while?" Ryouga asked. Phoenix shrugged. 

"Think you can keep up?"

"Damn straight I can keep up," he said, puffing out his chest. Phoenix laughed and easily knocked him off his feet. 

"We'll see about that," she cackled, and started to run off.

"HEY!" Ryouga yelled, chasing her- 

Both laughing, they left, to face their destiny, wherever it led, but it was together.

Setsuna smiled, the spirit of a dead queen watching beside her. 

"I can't believe they have five kids," Serenity said, shaking her spectral head. 

"Its not happened yet, my queen," Pluto replied, smiling. "They could have six."

"But they both finally have some happiness... Fate is cruel, my friend."

"It is," Chronos answered. "No one ever said it wasn't. However, sometimes things do turn out right."

"Its a long chapter, finally over," said a new voice, and Larania showed up to speak. "Nothing really has a happy ending, because it never really ends. But- for now, it is. The characters are the same, though they go by different names. Its up to them now, not us, not anyone else, to make their lives. Now I can finally get back to my own journey."

The two regal women, Setsuna and Serenity looked over at the wryly grinning Larania, the Dragon's Daughter and wanderer in her own right. 

Then Rachel, Larania's imouto, showed up. "YOU HAVE TO GET BACK TO MAKING OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES HELL, YOU KNOW!"

The two other women looked at Rachel as she berated Larania, who meekly nodded and stared at her sandals like they were the most interesting things in the world.

"You gotta go to another universe and get Usagi with Bardock and then yadda yadda yadda..."

"I know, I know, I KNOW!"

Larania and Rachel faded away, with Rachel still wagging her finger at the older girl.

"Did that make any sense to you, Serenity?" Setsuna asked, sweatdropping. 

"None at all, my old friend."

  
  


There are many stories that need to be finished, and not many that lead to happily ever afters. This story, however, is at an end. Piccolo may burn the rice, Ryouga may be up nights with teething children, and there will always be the odd energy draining monster- but they were happy enough.

  
  



End file.
